Major Mix-up
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat Patrol is sent on a mission that just won't quit. Every time they think they're done something else comes up.
1. Chapter 1

**Major Mix-up**

BY:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

The small cargo plane swept low over the desert and landed on a flat stretch of hard packed sand that was miles from anywhere. It slowed but didn't stop. As it began its slow turn to face the runway again four men slipped out of the side door and dropped to the ground. A crewman closed the door after them. They fell flat on their stomachs and covered their faces and heads as the plane taxied away throwing sand in its wake. They stayed down and watched as it picked up speed and raced across the hard ground in preparation for take-off. In less than three minutes the plane was once again airborne and headed for its next destination.

A German truck and two patrol cars appeared in the distance and headed for the strip where the plane had briefly touched down.

The four men in the sand moved as one toward a slight dip in the ground, the only type of cover within walking distance. They crowded into the depression and watched as the vehicles drew closer.

"They could at least have given us guns." Mark Hitchcock complained as they watched the vehicles approach.

"They didn't want us slowed down by a lot of gear." Tully Pettigrew explained. "That captain said we would be issued everything we need later."

"Before or after we get to the POW camp?"

"Can it Hitch." Troy ordered. "There's nothing we can do about it now. Complaining isn't going to help."

"What are we going to do?" Moffitt asked.

"We're going to wait and see what happens." Troy growled. "Maybe they're just wondering why the plane landed. They may not have seen us."

"If they keep coming they aren't going to miss us." The other sergeant responded. "There's nowhere out here to hide."

Troy knew the other sergeant was right but, as he had pointed out, there was nowhere else to hide. There was nothing to do but watch the vehicles approach and hope that their ride arrived in time to drive off the Germans.

"It sure looks like all of these tricks and precautions are going to go to waste." Tully drawled quietly. "This mission could be over before it even gets started."

"We're not done yet." Troy tried to reassure them. "We've come through worse."

"But keeping our presence a secret seemed to be a major component of this mission." Moffitt remarked. "They went to a lot of trouble to assure that outcome. Our getting captured makes it a bit unrealistic to say the least."

"They haven't caught us yet." Troy remained optimistic.

The other three turned from watching the German vehicles to stare at him.

"Dig in, cover yourself with sand. Maybe they won't look too close." Troy ordered.

"What about our tracks?" Hitch asked.

"The ground is hard and the plane blew a lot of dust around. Unless they look really close they'll never see them."

Hitch peeled his hat off and stuffed it into his shirt. He saw Troy watching him and smiled. "I don't want them to spot that bright red color and find us because of my hat."

Troy smiled and pushed some loose sand at his driver. "Stay still."

It wasn't a perfect job of camouflage but it was all they had to work with. Troy hadn't said it but he agreed with his driver, they could at least have given them guns. He wasn't ready to admit defeat but he had to admit, if only to himself, that things didn't look good for them. With their ride nowhere in sight the Germans would most likely find them.

None of them spoke as the German vehicles drew closer. The nearer the vehicles came the more detail they could pick out. The soldiers in the patrol cars were searching the desert where the plane had landed. The cars made a circle around the area while the truck stopped and waited. Troy and his men watched tensely as the cars rejoined the truck.

An officer climbed out of the lead car and walked over to the second car. A short conversation followed while the other soldiers continued to scan the desert.

"They haven't seen us." Moffitt breathed in relief.

"They haven't left yet either." Troy pointed out.

"If they spread out maybe we can jump a few of them and grab their weapons." Tully suggested.

"Only if it looks like they're going to find us." Troy answered. "We're still trying to keep our presence a secret."

"Why drop us in German territory?" Moffitt asked in a whisper.

"I guess they thought the krauts wouldn't expect that." Troy whispered in return.

"Doesn't look like that's going to work out so well for them...or us." Tully drawled.

The German officer finished his conversation and turned to survey the desert again. The look on his face screamed disappointment. He turned to return to his car, the slump of his shoulders suggesting that they were giving up. Whatever he had expected to find it was obvious that he hadn't found it.

The cars split up and each circled the area one more time. They made a wider circle the second time and it brought the second car close to the depression. The driver noticed it and pointed it out to the officer.

Troy tensed as it neared their position. "Get ready, we may have to take them."

The others tensed, ready to spring up and surprise the four man crew.

"Hitch, you take the passenger next to the driver." Troy whispered. "Tully, you get the driver and take control of the car. Moffitt and I will take the two in the back."

The car drove slowly toward them as the soldiers scanned the desert for clues. There was no longer any doubt that they knew the plane had landed and they were searching for the reason. The car's occupants were looking for tracks so they picked up the faint trail left by the four commandos. One of the soldiers pointed excitedly, turning to call to the others.

Troy leaped toward the rear of the car with Moffitt by his side. Reaching forward he pulled one of the soldiers to the ground as Moffitt grabbed the other one. He had him on the ground choking him when Hitch yelled.

"They speak English Sarge! They say they're American."

"We are American!" The one Moffitt held yelled in desperation.

Troy's hand froze in mid-strike as Moffitt's victim yelled. He looked into the frightened face of the man he held and snarled. "Who are you?"

"We're your ride." The man answered in a shaky voice.

"Honest Sergeant!" Moffitt's victim agreed.

Tully looked down at the driver of the car. A chop to the neck had rendered him unconscious so he could be pulled from the car. Leaning down Tully pulled the soldier's dog tags free. He read the tags before calling to Troy. "This one has American tags."

"So does this one." Hitch confirmed.

"That's because we are Americans." The soldier growled. "Give me my rifle back."

"Not just yet." Troy replied as he pushed the prisoner toward the car.

The lead patrol car had noticed the commotion and was racing toward them. Troy pulled his prisoner in front of him and pointed the confiscated rifle at the approaching car. The driver of the car brought his vehicle to an abrupt halt.

"That's far enough!" Troy called. "Who are you?"

The officer in the other car climbed out with his hands in plain sight. Making sure that he didn't make any threatening moves he walked toward the captured car.

"Sergeant Troy I presume."

"You know me but I don't know you." Troy growled as he took a firmer grip on his prisoner.

"I am Captain Lawrence O'Dell. I am your contact for the next part of your journey."

"Care to explain the German uniforms and vehicles."

The captain smiled and looked down at the uniform he wore. "This is German territory Sergeant. Intelligence thought that it would be better to drop you off here because they don't believe that the Germans will look for you here. If they are looking for you we are hoping they are watching our base instead."

"That still doesn't explain why you're dressed as Germans." Troy insisted even as he eased his grip on the soldier he held.

"The plan was to locate you and load you into the truck at gunpoint. That way if anyone saw us they would assume that the Germans picked you up. Hopefully they wouldn't feel the need to report it."

"Hopefully?" Troy scoffed.

The captain shrugged. "I only follow orders Sergeant, I don't make policy."

"You should have warned us."

"As I said, I follow orders, I don't make policy. You can take that up with headquarters if you want, after you finish the mission."

"So now what?"

"Now Sergeant, you and your men need to drop those weapons and allow my men to take you prisoner. My orders are to make it look real."

Troy glanced over his shoulder at Moffitt.

"They seemed to have convinced us." Moffitt offered. "It does make sense in a rather careless sort of way." At Troy's expression the Brit continued. "I agree it would have been safer for all of us if they had warned us what to expect."

"All right." Troy decided. "Drop your weapons and put your hands behind your heads." He was the first to comply.

The soldiers they had taken prisoner quickly picked up the weapons and took their places as guards. They efficiently searched them for weapons.

"We're not armed." Troy growled.

"We know that." The captain nodded. "But any watchers would expect us to check."

The guy Tully had knocked out began to moan and rolled onto his side. He looked up at Tully in confusion. "Where am I?"

"Danged if I know." Tully answered.

The captain waved the truck over and the four men were loaded into the back. More men dressed as Germans waited for them there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

The four men sat in the rear of the truck and watched the soldiers who watched them.

"Do you do this kind of thing often?" Troy asked after the silence had been extended too long for comfort.

"First time for me." One of the soldiers answered with a smile. He pulled on the collar of his German uniform. "I have to admit, wearing this thing makes me kind of nervous."

"I'll bet." Troy nodded. "Getting caught in it could get you shot as a spy." The soldier paled at the remark. "So what happens next?"

"Sorry Sergeant," the friendly soldier shook his head, "they didn't tell us anything. You know…in case we get caught."

"It's for our own good." The second guard told his buddy.

"May be." The friendly guard answered. "But it seems to me it almost got the lieutenant killed. It could have got us all killed." He looked at Troy and his men.

"It still could." Troy warned.

"Hey! We're on your side." The friendly guard threw his hands up in surrender.

"And you're in German territory wearing German uniforms." Troy pointed out. "That alone could get you shot as spies."

"Oh yeah." The guard answered. "I thought you meant you might shoot us."

"I still haven't ruled that out." Troy growled angrily.

"Hey! This wasn't our idea."

"That seems to be the popular excuse around here." Troy replied. "But it doesn't help if you're dead."

"How did you guys do that?" The friendly guard asked.

"Do what?"

"Take out Lieutenant Todd and his crew." The guard explained. "One minute I was just watching them drive along and the next minute they were all prisoners. You guys weren't supposed to be armed."

"We weren't given any weapons." Troy answered. "But that doesn't make us helpless."

"I guess not!" The second guard agreed. "You took them down like it was nothing. I saw you jump up out of the sand but it was all over before I could yell a warning."

"They're lucky to be alive." Troy growled. "Someone should have told us about that part of the plan."

"The captain wouldn't have been happy if you had hurt the lieutenant or any of his men." A third guard stated. His expression was clearly not as friendly as the other two.

"Their own fault." Troy answered without remorse.

"They couldn't shoot or you may not have had it so easy." The third guard insisted.

"They never got a chance to shoot." The first guard argued.

"Whose side are you on?" The third guard snarled at his fellow guard. "They could have killed our guys."

"I thought we were all on the same side." The second guard interrupted the argument. "Admit it Henry, you're only mad because you had a buddy with the lieutenant and he got taken down without a struggle. Somebody goofed and you want to blame the guys you don't know."

"They're the ones who goofed." Henry answered. "They were supposed to get captured, not the other way around."

"We didn't come all this way to end up in a POW camp." Troy growled. "How were we supposed to know that you guys were American?"

"He's right Henry." The first guard added.

"Shut up Luke!" Henry replied. "You don't know anything about it; those guys were just following orders."

"So were we." Troy answered. "Our orders were to meet up with our American escorts and let them take us to our next destination."

"And we're those escorts." Henry declared.

"And you look German."

Henry fell silent, unable to come up with a good argument to that. Troy glanced at his men and smiled, telling them without words that everything would work out.

"Luke Stevenson." The first guard introduced himself. "That's Carson Stewart and Henry Bartholomew." He pointed to the second and third guard in that order. "Don't tell us your names, its better if we don't know."

Troy nodded.

"We're going to be in this truck for a while so if there's anything you need, just ask, we'll try to get it for you." Luke continued. "The captain will probably be around to talk to you soon. He'll be able to answer more of your questions than we can."

"Do you have any water?" Moffitt asked.

"Oh sure." Luke jumped up from his seat. He went to the front of the truck where several boxes were stacked. He opened the first box and pulled out a canteen. "We have a bunch of rations in here too if you're hungry. Not the regular k-rations but the new type."

"Hey, this might not be such a bad deal after all!" Hitch exclaimed happily. He went to the front of the truck to see what they had to offer.

The rest of the day was quiet as the truck rumbled along across the desert. They were still in enemy territory so everyone was on alert. Troy and his men slept most of the way after being in briefings and on the plane most of the day before. Darkness found the truck and the two patrol cars pulling into a wadi to camp.

"You stay here." Luke ordered as he jumped from the truck. "I'll go find the captain."

"You stay here too Carson." Henry ordered. "I'm going to go check on the lieutenant." He pushed past the others and climbed over the tailgate.

"Check on the lieutenant my foot." Carson grumbled. "He's going to go check on his buddy. The one that was with the lieutenant." Carson watched him go with a shake of his head. "That guy is about as friendly as a scorpion."

"What seems to be his problem?" Moffitt asked curiously.

"You made the lieutenant and his crew look bad." Carson answered. "His buddy is the lieutenant's driver. They're real close."

"Could be we scared him." Tully suggested. "Maybe he thought he lost his friend."

"That might make me cranky too." Hitch added.

"Not our problem." Troy growled. "We need to concentrate on the mission, not somebody's hurt feelings."

"Luckily that's all that got hurt." Moffitt noted. "Things could have turned out much worse under the circumstances."

Troy nodded his agreement. He felt bad about the misunderstanding but they should have warned them what was supposed to happen. He refused to apologize for trying to stay alive and protecting his men.

The flap over the tailgate was pushed aside and a German officer climbed into the truck.

"I'm Captain Kaufman." The officer introduced himself. "I will be handling the next part of your journey. Captain O'Dell will be returning to his base. I know who you are, at least by name, but I am the only one. I think its best if we keep it that way. The less anyone knows the less they can let slip if we get caught."

"If you get caught you'll all be shot as spies." Moffitt pointed out.

"I know." The captain looked down at his feet. "We're all volunteers, we know the risks." He looked up at the four faces watching him. "I don't know what you're here to do, and I don't want to know. All I need to know is my part in this. That's all my men know too, just their part. We'll be taking you to your next drop off point and then we'll turn around. We'll be picked up by an American convoy on our way back. That way there won't be any way for anyone to stop us and ask us about our cargo. Once we join the American convoy we'll change into our own uniforms and blend in with everyone else. That should confuse Jerry. Heck, it has me all confused and I helped plan it. There are German uniforms in those boxes; they should be the right sizes. Headquarters tried to get you everything they thought you would need. Don't leave this truck until you've changed. Talk will be kept to a minimum since none of us speak German. Tomorrow we'll drop you off and you'll meet your next contact."

"Will they be dressed as Germans too?" Troy asked.

"I don't know Sergeant, I only planned my part." The officer looked torn for a minute. "Sergeant, I want to thank you for your restraint earlier. I talked to Lieutenant Todd and his men. They said you could have killed them easily."

"Someone should have warned us about their disguises."

"I thought you knew." The officer admitted. "Don't worry Sergeant; I will be taking the matter up with headquarters. This mission is dangerous enough without foul-ups like that."

"I agree Captain." Troy replied seriously. "They not only endanger lives, they risk dooming the mission too."

The captain nodded and rose to leave. "I suggest that you and your men stay out of sight as much as possible in case someone recognizes you."

"We're a long way from our usual hunting grounds." Troy pointed out.

"Just the same, if anyone were to recognize you it could jeopardize this entire mission. I don't know who you guys are but I have to admit, despite the danger to my men, you seem to be capable of taking care of yourselves. I'm just glad you weren't armed with anything more than just knives and your hands."

"About that Captain, I'd feel a whole lot better if we were issued weapons."

"I'll arrange it Sergeant. I'll also arrange to have your meals delivered to the truck so you don't have to go far. Any trouble and you and your team are to get into the truck and stay there." The Captain nodded at Carson and rose to leave the truck. "If you need anything else ask Pvt. Stewart here, he can get it for you."

"Thank you sir." Troy said to the back of the captain's head as he climbed over the tailgate.

"Anything happens they want us to stay in this truck." Hitch grumbled. "If they're after us we'll be trapped in here."

"Like fish in a barrel." Tully agreed as he chewed on his matchstick.

Hitch popped a bubble in agreement.

"Don't get excited." Troy ordered. "Nothing's happened yet." He glanced over at Carson and grinned. "And if it does, we'll handle it."

Their weapons were delivered to the truck along with extra ammo and their meals. Blankets were provided and they bedded down in the truck overnight.

Luke, Carson, and Henry returned in the morning to once again ride in the rear of the truck. All of the other soldiers ignored them as much as possible

"Just a few more hours and you'll be meeting your next guides." Luke offered as the truck began to move. "The Captain said to tell you that the guys will be dressed as Arabs. They'll bring you some robes to put on over your uniforms."

"Germans, Arabs, what next?" Moffitt wondered aloud.

"Can't say." Luke smiled. "Then you're out of our hands and we weren't told anything."

"Great." Troy growled.

Moffitt smiled and leaned his head against the side of the truck and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Major Mix-up**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"This is as far as we go." Captain Kaufman came to the rear of the truck to wish the Rat Patrol luck on their mission. "We're headed back to our base and a nice leave of absence. Anyone who saw you will be shipping out for the next week to avoid any gossip leaking. I guess we can thank you for our leaves."

"You're welcome." Troy grinned as his mood improved when told they would be leaving the tight confines of the truck. He hated to be constricted in his movements preferring the open jeeps to the closed trucks. He would suffer the dust to feel the wind in his face and the sun on his back; not that dust didn't find its way into the trucks to choke anyone unfortunate enough to travel that way.

"You and your men are to get out here and wait for your new guides." The captain continued. "Did you get my message about these guys being dressed as Arabs?"

"Yes sir, thanks for the heads-up."

"They'll have extra clothing for you. If they don't, they're the wrong Arabs." The captain added helpfully.

"That helps a lot." Troy growled.

The captain laughed. "You're armed now Sergeant, but if I recall, you did all right before you had weapons."

"We got lucky."

"Maybe we all did." The captain sobered. "I like Lieutenant Todd. Make no mistake; headquarters is going to hear about this failure to communicate."

"We should have been told." Troy repeated.

"We're kind of even though Sergeant." The officer replied. "No one told us how good you were and we walked into that blind."

Troy nodded, knowing that the officer wasn't to blame. "We appreciate the weapons and the information on our new guides."

"We're leaving now but we'll drive slowly." The officer offered. "If we hear any shots, even one, we'll be back to check on you."

"Thank you Captain, hopefully that won't happen."

"I hope not Sergeant but we'll drive slowly for the first few miles just the same."

Troy and the others hid in the rocks along the trail and watched the truck and patrol cars drive away. Always cautious, they searched the hills and area around them for any sign that the truck was being watched.

"They left us one canteen Sarge." Hitch held up the single canteen they had been allotted.

"We'll make it last as long as we can." Troy decided. He urged his men to climb higher on the slope so they had a better field of view. As they reached a cluster of rocks near the top of the hill they took cover. "We don't know how long we're going to be here so we'll take turns on watch."

"That won't be necessary, we won't be here long." Moffitt answered. As the others turned to look at him he pointed to a small group of riders in the distance. The Arabs were making no attempt to stay out of sight.

"Eight men, eight horses." Tully counted. "Are you sure they're our guides?"

"They changed course to ride right past us." Moffitt answered.

"Stay out of sight." Troy ordered.

Moffitt studied the riders as they got closer. While all were male, some were older than the others. The horses were fresh, suggesting that they hadn't traveled far since their last rest stop. He wondered if they had been camped nearby awaiting the arrival of the Allied team. He got his answer a short time later when the riders stopped at the base of the hill.

All eight riders dismounted in the sheltered clearing where the truck had dropped off the Allies. The younger riders held the horses as the older men searched the ground where the truck had stopped.

"Sergeant! Sergeant!"

Troy looked at Moffitt and motioned for him to stay put. Crawling to the other end of the rock cluster, Troy rose slowly to his feet.

"That's me." Troy called with his rifle at the ready.

The Arabs began to walk toward him. They seemed surprised to see the rifle. "We were told that you would be unarmed."

"Change of plans." Troy smiled. "I felt naked."

The Arab looked confused at first, turning to his companion for an explanation. After a brief comment from his companion he began to smile and nodded at Troy. "Very well Sergeant, we have robes for you and your men, if you will cover your uniforms we will go."

"Go? On what?" Troy asked as he looked pointedly at the horses.

The Arab followed his gaze and frowned. "We were assured that you knew how to ride."

"We do." Troy answered. "But there seems to be a shortage of horses."

The Arab smiled and nodded his understanding. "Four of our young men will be staying behind. You and your men will take their mounts."

"We can't just leave them here." Troy argued.

"There is a camp a few miles from here." The Arab leader answered. "They will stay out of sight today and walk to the camp after it gets dark. If we were spotted we could not be caught leading extra horses. That would have raised too many questions. Our young men will blend in with the others in the camp and no one will notice them."

"That makes sense." Troy admitted. "Somebody was using their head." He turned and called the others down. They quickly covered their uniforms with the Arab robes and mounted the waiting horses.

The four young Arabs who had given up their mounts began to erase all of their tracks as soon as everyone was mounted. They were still at it the last time Troy looked back.

"May I ask where we are going?" Troy rode his horse beside the leader, far enough back to show respect but close enough to talk.

"There is a town about a day's ride from here." The Arab answered. "It is my understanding that you will be meeting someone there."

"What's there?"

"The Germans have set up a base just outside of the town. They have been adding troops and machines to the base for the last two weeks. There are numerous rumors about what they have planned. I was led to believe that you and your men would go in and discover what it is they are planning."

Troy nodded. That fell within range of the team's skills. He hated going into an operation blind. He would have preferred that they be told ahead of time what was expected. He suspected that this operation had been put together in a hurry and one hand didn't know what the other was doing. It was looking like they might need to do a lot of last minute improvisation.

The part he couldn't understand was all of the elaborate plots to get them to the base. Just giving them the jeeps and letting them drive would have sufficed. He understood the rush, but the plans didn't appear to have been very well coordinated to his eye. The lack of communication was evident all around them. A map and two jeeps would have been all they really needed.

"Are they expecting trouble?"

The Arab slowed his horse to look at Troy. "Didn't they tell you? The last team they sent in didn't come back."

"So that's a yes." Troy growled. "When was this?"

"Four days ago."

"Any idea what happened to them?"

"They were caught." The Arab replied. "The Germans shot them in front of the whole town as a warning to anyone who would offer refuge or help to their enemy." He watched Troy for a reaction.

"I guess we don't want to get caught then."

"I would think not." The Arab replied with a smile.

Troy wondered where he had acquired his language skills and his sense of humor. The old man fell silent and the sergeant was left to process the new information. He let his horse drop back until he rode beside Moffitt.

"Did you catch any of that?"

"All of it actually."

"So we're the second team and they are probably expecting us."

"That sounds logical."

"All of these precautions are starting to make more sense." Troy continued.

"It may also explain the problems we've had." The Brit suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"It would seem that the plans to get us here were made rather hurriedly if the first attempt failed only four days ago. They pushed it through so quickly that they failed to consider all of the possible problems involved. That would explain their failure to warn us about some of the lengths they have taken to fool the Germans."

"Like the fake capture?"

"Failing to arm us may have been someone's attempt to correct a problem they realized existed too late to rectify."

"You think someone thought the fake Germans would be safe as long as we weren't carrying weapons?"

"Precisely." Moffitt nodded.

"Captain Kaufman plans to correct that assumption the minute he gets back to base." Troy grinned.

"That still leaves us with a question." Moffitt replied soberly. "What other surprises do they have in store for us?"

"I've been thinking about it. We're going to need a lot more information before we try getting onto that base."

"Pump our guides?"

"Do you think they know anything useful?"

Moffitt shrugged. "I can find out."


	4. Chapter 4

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

"Welcome Sergeant. If you and your men will step down our Arab friends will be on their way."

The English, spoken with a French accent, came out of the shadows after the horses were stopped near a small waterhole. Four Arab men stepped into the open and waited near the heads of the horses that the Allies rode.

Troy gave a nod and they all dismounted, thanking their guides as they stepped away from the animals. Moffitt made it a point to thank their guide for the information he had been able to give them about the German base. The old Arab wished them luck before he led his small band into the quickly falling darkness.

"Who are you?" Troy demanded as soon as they were alone again.

"Paul LeMont." Their new guide answered. "I will be your guide for the next part of your journey."

"The next part? How much further are we going?" Troy demanded.

"Not much further." The Frenchman promised. "You are to meet someone in the town who will tell you why you are here and what you must do."

"When?"

"If we hurry we can beat the curfew." The Frenchman eyed the four men. "You can pass as Arabs." He told the two sergeants. "You will not." He looked closer at Hitch and Tully.

"We're staying together." Troy growled in warning.

"Of course Sergeant, my orders are to bring all of you. But your men will not pass an inspection. They are too fair haired and Arabs do not have blue eyes. Your men will have to keep their heads down and try not to stand so tall." He eyed Troy and Moffitt. "All of you will have to avoid walking beside an Arab, there are not many Arabs as tall as you."

"We've done this before." Troy assured him. "We know what to do."

"I hope so Sergeant. The last group that tried this thought that they knew what they were doing too."

"So I heard." Troy replied. "Tell me what happened. We don't want to repeat any of their mistakes."

"We do not know." The Frenchman shrugged. "I took them into the town and they went their own way from there. The Germans announced their capture when they demanded that everyone go to the edge of town. When we got there they lined the survivors up against the wall and shot them. I hope you are not counting on the locals to help you, they are too frightened to risk it."

"We'll keep that in mind." Troy promised.

"Then we should go." Their guide urged. "The curfew starts in less than an hour and the guards let no one in once it starts."

"How are we going to get through?" Moffitt asked curiously. "Won't they check us?"

"There is always a rush around the time that the gates close. The guards cannot check everyone. We will slip you through when they are busy. There will be a cart full of straw going through. The guards will stop it and check it thoroughly. While they are doing that we will walk right past."

"Our lives are in your hands." Moffitt replied with a small bow.

"Not only yours." Their guide replied solemnly. "If you are caught and I am with you we will all be shot."

"Then let's not get caught." Troy suggested.

The Frenchman nodded and smiled. Without another word he turned and led the way to the gates.

The guards were watching closely as the flow of traffic rushed through the gates. As their guide had mentioned, there were a lot of locals hurrying to beat the curfew.

Tully and Hitch kept their heads down, hunching their shoulders to look shorter. A herd of goats meandered along ahead of them. Moffitt caught the eyes of the others and began to shoo the goats ahead at a faster pace. The Arab herder glanced at them and nodded gratefully. The goats bleated and milled about as the guards moved out of the way, motioning for the herder to get through the gate. Moffitt urged them forward in Arabic.

Tully and Hitch stayed as far away from the guards as possible while avoiding eye contact with anyone. Both privates were careful to keep their head coverings low over their faces and their hair well covered. Shuffling along behind the goats, the Allies and their French guide passed through the gates and into the town.

"Sarge!" Tully whispered urgently.

"What?" Troy whispered.

"I think we have a problem. One of those soldiers is following us. He was standing by the gate when we came through."

"Where?"

"He just turned the corner behind us." Tully answered quietly.

Troy took a quick look behind them as they turned the next corner.

"He's still following us."

The sergeant looked around quickly. They were in a narrow alley in the Arab quarter. There was an intersection ahead but Troy had no idea where it led.

"There is another alley just ahead that is seldom used." Their guide pointed out. "There won't be much traffic there."

"Okay. Moffitt, you and Tully turn off at this intersection. Make a lot of noise in Arabic as you leave. If he follows us then I want you two to come up behind him. We'll keep his attention. If it looks like we're in trouble it will be up to you to deal with it."

"What if he follows us Sarge?" Tully asked.

"Then Hitch and I will follow and keep an eye on him."

"Good luck Troy."

"I think it's time we stop relying on the luck of others and start making our own." Troy growled. "Everyone stay on your toes and be careful."

Moffitt made a loud show of saying good-bye before he and Tully turned at the intersection. The German soldier held back and watched until the two groups parted. Once they moved on again he chose to follow Tully and Moffitt.

Moffitt elbowed Tully as the two of them turned the next corner. Using his eyes he told Tully to go ahead. Tully nodded and increased his pace.

"Halt!" The German soldier called.

Moffitt and Tully both stopped. Moffitt turned around to face the soldier.

Raising his weapon the soldier ordered Tully to turn around. Moffitt explained in Arabic that they did not understand the German language. The soldier gestured with his rifle, his attention focused solely on the two men in front of him. Tully turned slowly to face the soldier but he kept his head down. The soldier leaned down in order to see Tully's face. When Tully looked up the soldier straightened in surprise. Before he could recover and sound an alarm Hitch shoved a knife in his back.

Troy helped Hitch catch the soldier before he could fall to the ground. They carried his body to the nearest building and took him inside. The building just happened to be an old stable. One of the stalls had a pile of dirty straw in one corner and a broken cart in the other. While the Frenchman stood guard the four Allies buried the body under the straw and placed the broken cart over the heap to further hide the evidence.

"He will be missed." The Frenchman warned as soon as they rejoined him.

"Couldn't be helped." Troy answered. "We'd better get off the streets."

"There's a good chance he won't be found before morning." Moffitt added. "Perhaps we can finish our business and be gone by then."

The Frenchman looked worried but he nodded in agreement. With him leading the way, the men made their way deeper into the Arab quarter.

"This is it." With a series of knocks on the wooden door the Frenchman entered the house without waiting for an answer. The four Allies crowded in behind him with a wary glance at the street outside.

"These are the men?"

"Yes." The Frenchman answered.

Troy studied the lean figure who had stepped out of another room to stand in front of them. Short, with a slight build, the man didn't look Arab or French. His accent was European but Troy couldn't quite place it.

"Was there any trouble?"

"Yes." The Frenchman told him about the German soldier.

"There was no other way?"

"None." The Frenchman admitted. "He would have sounded the alarm."

The man nodded thoughtfully. "What's done is done. We will have to move quickly." He turned to Troy. "You are the leader?"

"Sergeant Sam Troy."

"Very well Sergeant Troy. Have you been told the object of your assignment?"

"Not really." Troy admitted. "I gather it has something to do with what the Germans are planning."

"Everything to do with what they are planning." The man answered. "Your commanders want to know what those plans are. They sent a team here to steal the plans, or at least photograph them, but unfortunately, they were captured. Your government now wants you to finish the job."

Troy nodded. "That's about what we thought. Any ideas on how we can go about it? After that failed attempt I am sure they will be expecting another try."

"Almost certainly."

"So no suggestions?" Troy persisted.

"I'm afraid not. I don't even know how they caught the others."

"Can we steal them or do we have to photograph them in secret?"

"At this point stealing them should suffice." The man answered. "We think the operation is about to commence. If you steal them they will not have time to make any changes. They will either have to cancel the entire operation or go ahead with it as it is."

"But we aren't sure just when they plan to launch this operation?" Troy asked for clarification.

"No. All we know is that it will start soon. They have been holding a lot of high level meetings on the base for the last few days. Quite a few high ranking officers have been seen coming and going."

Troy looked over at Moffitt. "Anyone we know?"

"Rommel was here two days ago but he left the same day he arrived. Colonel Braunhauser arrived today. He is still here. Several majors and captains arrived today as well."

"All new faces?" Moffitt asked.

"New to us." Their contact replied. "They may know each other."

"That could be our way in." The Brit suggested. "The high ranking officers may know each other but I highly doubt that they know all of the lower ranking officers by sight or by name. If we claim to be associated with one of the lower ranking officers we may be able to gain access to the offices where the plans are kept."

"It's risky." Troy frowned.

"Have you a better idea? Time is of the essence here Troy."

"I can't think of another way right now." Troy admitted.

"We haven't much time Troy. That soldier may have already been missed. Once they find him our window of opportunity may be gone."

Troy chewed on his lip. "We'll need a German officer's uniform. They'll never let an enlisted man in there."

"I can provide that." Their contact assured them.

"The rest of us will pose as German soldiers and wonder around to give you cover if you need it. You're going to be on your own inside the office." Troy waited, giving Moffitt the opportunity to change his mind.

"It's our best shot Troy."

"All right, let's see if we can get an idea of the layout of the base."

Troy and Moffitt turned to their contact for the layout of the base and anything else he could tell them about the German security. Tully and Hitch stayed in the background listening and watching.

"Are you all right Tully?" Hitch asked after noticing how quiet Tully had become.

"Yeah, I guess."

"They know what they're doing. It will be all right."

"Maybe." Tully answered quietly. "I just wish Doc hadn't worded it quite that way. By calling it our best shot I hope he didn't jinx us."


	5. Chapter 5

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

"You all know the plan. Moffitt will go in and steal the documents while the rest of us hang around outside to cover his escape if he needs it."

"Some plan." Tully frowned. "Doc's going to be all alone in there."

"Do you speak German?" Moffitt asked quietly.

"No."

"Then you would only jeopardize my safety in there." The sergeant took a breath. "I know it's not ideal Tully, but it really is the best way. I would love to have one of you along but if anyone spoke to you it would doom the entire mission."

"Which brings us to another point." Troy added. "It's late. We'll be hanging around after curfew, so don't make it too obvious. Stay out of sight if you can. If you are spotted you may have to silence any witnesses. Do it quietly and hide the bodies. Any alert at this point puts us all in danger so keep an eye on one another."

"Got it Sarge." Hitch answered as Tully nodded.

"And Hitch, get rid of that gum. I know you don't think about it half of the time and I don't want you popping it at the wrong time."

Hitch nodded and pulled the gum from his mouth and dropped it on the ground. He kicked sand over it and looked up to see Troy nodding in approval.

"All right, let's shake it."

Tully found a secure place to hide and watched as Moffitt entered the building where the plans were kept. He glanced around but he couldn't see Hitch or Troy. The streets were mostly empty with only an occasional soldier hurrying from one place to another. As he waited he took note of the streets used must frequently by the pedestrians who walked by his hiding place. He brought up a mental image of the map their contact had drawn of the base for them. They knew where the barracks were located. Like Hitch, he had paid special attention to the location of the motor pool. He knew how to find it from his current location. If Moffitt ran into trouble he and Hitch were to try to reach the motor pool and steal transportation. Satisfied that he had the map clear in his mind, he settled in to wait for Moffitt's return.

Moffitt talked his way past the guards at the entrance easily. The forged papers the contact had supplied were good enough to fool the enlisted men but he doubted that they would fool an officer if he checked closely. Once inside he ducked into an empty office to get his bearings. He hid behind the door as footsteps sounded in the hall. The guard passed without checking the office.

The sergeant turned to the desk and searched the papers piled there. Picking up a few of them he headed for the door. If he were to be stopped he could claim to be delivering the papers to another office. He moved quickly and quietly toward the commander's office.

The halls were darkened and nearly empty as he proceeded at a quick pace, like a man on a mission. He clutched the papers in his hand and prayed that no one would question him. As he walked past the offices he took note of any names displayed on the doors.

The commander's office was locked but Moffitt had his lock picks with hm. He made short work of opening the door. He slipped inside and locked the door behind him. The moonlight coming through the windows allowed him to see the various maps tacked to the walls. At a quick glance they all looked like the kind of maps one would find in any commander's office. None of them had any particular marks that would indicate an offensive was planned.

Moving toward the cabinet the sergeant spotted a manila folder lying on the desk. Opening it he found the plans he was looking for, plus maps and a handwritten note to a Major Lentz. Smiling to himself Moffitt tucked the folder inside the tunic he wore. He gave the office one final search before heading for the door. The guard was making his rounds so Moffitt waited for him to pass. As soon as the footsteps faded the sergeant unlocked the door and stepped into the hall. The lock on the door clicked shut behind him, sounding loud in his ears. Straightening his jacket and shuffling the papers in his hand, he retraced his steps. If anyone stopped him he would claim to be delivering the papers to the office where he had found them.

He passed two soldiers on his way out. Both glanced at the papers in his hands and the rank on his shoulders and saluted. He returned their salutes, wished them a good night, and continued on his way.

Troy rushed out to meet him as he exited the building. He nodded at the other sergeant to let him know that he had been successful. Tully and Hitch continued to stay out of sight as they headed for an alley where they could talk.

"I got it Troy. We need to leave as soon as possible. The offensive starts the day after tomorrow. We don't have much time to get the information back to our side."

"They know something is coming." Troy answered. "They're already on alert. Getting caught or killed getting out of here isn't going to help."

"Don't forget, we left a dead soldier in that stable. They'll be looking for us tomorrow anyway."

"I haven't forgotten." Troy answered. "Let's go back and talk to our contact. Maybe he knows a way we can get out tonight."

Avoiding everyone they saw, the four men crept back to the house of their contact.

"Can you get us out?" Troy asked after explaining everything to the man who seemed to be in charge.

"There might be a way but the Germans will know that you were here."

"They're going to know anyway." Moffitt answered. "I took the papers. They will be missed in the morning; as will the dead soldier." He added.

"Us leaving is better than us staying." Troy continued. "If we get caught on the way out they won't know who helped us. If we get caught here then you will be in trouble too."

"I am willing to take that risk Sergeant." The man answered. "But you are correct. It would be better if you are gone when they come looking." He turned and gave orders to one of the other men in the room. "There is a section of wall that is not so heavily guarded. There is only one guard that they depend on to watch that sector. If you can kill that guard then you might be able to go over the wall without being discovered."

"We'll need transportation once we get over the wall."

"There is a house there, right outside the wall. The German soldiers go there to meet certain women. There is usually at least one car parked there overnight. I will send someone to make sure that there is one there now. There is only one major problem with this plan."

"And that is?"

"There is also a guard tower overlooking that section of the wall. The approach is very open. I am not sure if you would be able to kill the guard quietly. Perhaps you could slip over while he is on the other side of the tower. That is unless he notices the guard missing from the wall. If there are any shots fired you will not have time to reach the house and take the car."

"How close can we get?" Troy asked.

"Not close enough for a knife throw if that is what you are thinking."

"I wasn't thinking about a knife." Troy answered. He looked over at Tully. "Did you bring your slingshot?"

"It's in my pack." Tully replied with a grin.

"Dig it out; we're going to need it."

By the time word came back that there was a car parked outside the wall Troy and Moffitt had mapped out the route they would take back to the American base. Their contact provided them with a rope to scale the wall and their own guns so they had weapons that were familiar. He also provided a guide to get them as close to the guard tower as possible.

"I wish you luck gentlemen. Your journey will not be an easy one but it will be one worth taking."

"Thank you for your help. I hope we haven't caused you any trouble."

Their contact brushed off Troy's thanks. "My family has already suffered at the hands of the Germans. This is our war as well as yours. I consider it an honor to have helped in any way possible. Now it is getting late, you must be on your way. Once it gets light the Germans have a scout plane they use to search the desert for enemy patrols. Do not let them see you or they will radio the surrounding bases to ambush you."

"We've had some experience with that sort of combat." Troy smiled. "We'll be careful."

"Then go my friends, run far, and run fast."

Troy nodded and turned to leave. Each man thanked their contact as they left his home.

The information was correct. The guard tower was manned by a single guard. He walked around the edges keeping an eye on not only the wall but the sleeping town too. Their guide was very careful to stay out of sight every time he was on the side toward the town.

When they were still half a football field from the tower the guide stopped and waited.

"This is as far as he will go." Moffitt translated for the Arab.

Troy nodded. "Tell him thanks and tell him we will give him ten minutes to get back to his home before we try anything. If the Germans catch us he can claim ignorance."

Moffitt translated and smiled as the Arab departed. "He says thank you. He also wishes us a safe journey."

"He'd better be more careful or he'll get caught before we do." Tully drawled as he watched the man hurry toward his home.

"We aren't going to get caught." Troy grinned. "You're going to get close enough to take out that guard and Hitch will take out the one on the wall. Then we'll slip over, steal that car, and we'll be on our way."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." Troy grinned again.

"Okay." Tully answered. "But I'm going to have to get closer so I can be sure of a kill."

"Take all the time you want. You have ten minutes." Troy answered.

Tully nodded and began his approach. Every time the guard was on the side of the tower toward the wall Tully would move. It took more than ten minutes to cover twenty yards. Finally he looked back and caught Troy watching him. Giving a quick nod, he waited for the signal to fire.

Troy checked on Hitch. He had sent him to get closer to the guard on the wall. He had to stay back until the guard on the tower was neutralized but he was as close as he could get until then. He gave Troy a nod. Troy turned and gave Tully the signal.

Tully bit one of his bullets and pulled the lead free. Dropping the empty casing he pulled his slingshot from his pocket. Picking up a small hand full of sand he let it trickle to the ground to check the strength and direction of the wind. Making mental adjustments to his calculations, he loaded the slingshot and took aim.

The guard looked out over the sleeping town and yawned. Guard duty at night was boring. At least during the day you could watch all of the people below going about their business. With the curfew the town was dark and deserted. Giving his head a good shake to chase away the drowsiness, he returned to his duties.

There was no muzzle flash to give away the shot. No flash of gunpowder or loud noise as the bullet was propelled from the weapon to its target. One minute the guard was alive and moving, the next he was dead and dropping to the floor. His rifle slid to the wooden platform, caught between the railing and his body. The clunk as it hit was not loud but sound carried well on the night air.

The guard on the wall heard the noise and turned toward the tower. He looked but he couldn't see the guard stationed there. Thinking that the guard was just on the other side, he called out to him.

Moffitt cupped his hands to distort his voice and answered the call.

The guard on the wall relaxed slightly at the response but he continued to watch the tower. As he stared at the tower Hitch rushed toward his position. He called again when the tower guard did not appear. He was waiting for an answer when he felt a hot, burning pain. He felt a hand close over his mouth as he struggled to understand what was happening. Realization dawned even as his vision went dark. He slid to the ground with Hitch still covering his mouth.

Hitch pulled his blade free and wiped it clean before getting to his feet. He looked over and caught Troy's eye. Waving for the others to join him at the wall he checked for any other guards who might have noticed something. But their contact had been correct again; guards were scarce on this part of the wall. Apparently the Germans had considered the tower sufficient coverage for their needs.

Moffitt tied the end of their rope to a post and threw the coils over the top of the wall. With Troy offering him a foothold he was able to reach the top of the wall. He paused long enough for Tully to hand him his rifle before he dropped over the other side. Tully followed in the same manner. He helped Moffitt stand watch until Hitch could boost Troy to the top. Tully and Troy held the rope tight as Hitch used it to scale the wall. Troy handed him his rifle as he dropped down next to the others. Moving as silently as shadows they headed for the house of ill repute.


	6. Chapter 6

**Major Mix-up**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"Can you get it running Tully?"

"Yeah, but that's not the problem." Tully answered after checking the car.

"What do you mean? What's wrong now?"

"The minute we start this thing up we're going to alert whoever is inside. These engines rattle worse than pappy's old tractor. And that tractor is ancient." Tully explained. "They'll probably come out to check on it and sound the alarm."

"It can't be helped Tully. We need the ride." Moffitt admitted.

"We could push it." Hitch suggested.

"Push it?" Troy asked.

"Yeah Sarge. Let Tully sit in the car and steer while the rest of us push it. The three of us should be able to get it moving with no problem. We can start it when we're further away and maybe it won't be noticed. If they hear us Tully can start it and we can jump in and make a run for it."

Troy looked at the hard packed sand where the car was parked. The road was close, pushing wouldn't be that hard. "Okay, Tully get in. Be ready to start it. The rest of us will push it as far as we can. Maybe we can get it far enough that no one will think anything of it even if they do hear it."

Tully chewed on his matchstick and nodded. He took his place and disengaged the gears. "Okay Sarge." He called softly.

The patrol car moved easily enough. The noise the tires made on the sand was no louder than the grunts of the men pushing. The car was parked on a slight downhill angle so it rolled almost by itself once they got it started. All they had to do was keep up with it once it started rolling. Tully avoided the brakes, letting it slow to a stop on its own.

"This should be far enough away." Troy decided. "Everybody get in and stay down. Tully, start this thing up and get us out of here."

Tully nodded and pressed the starter. It didn't run like their jeeps, the engine was louder, but not as loud as they had feared. Tully put it in gear and drove off into the night with no alarm sounding behind them. They traveled the road until the sky began to lighten. Hitch kept them amused with his dialogue about how his parents would never forgive Troy for teaching their son how to steal cars; that and all of the other bad habits he had picked up since joining the Army. Before they knew it it was morning.

"Get us off the road Tully."

Tully waited until he found an old set of tracks that cut across the desert and he followed them. By following the other tracks he was hoping to confuse any planes that spotted the tracks. The Germans would be looking for a lone patrol car headed for the American lines.

Three and a half hours later the precaution paid off. The plane appeared in the sky as Tully and Hitch were switching places. Hitch had caught a nap while Tully drove and Tully needed the rest.

"Plane!" Moffitt called as everyone stretched tired muscles and passed around a canteen they had found under one of the seats.

"There's a camo net in the back." Hitch called.

"Get it out and cover the car." Troy ordered as he searched for the plane.

Tully ran to the back and pulled the net free. Hitch helped him drape it over the car, letting the folds hang loose in case they needed to pull it back off in a hurry.

"Under cover!" Troy called.

Both privates dove beneath the netting.

"He's checking out those tracks." Tully noted out loud.

"Maybe he won't be able to tell the old ones from the new ones." Hitch suggested hopefully.

"A lot depends on the angle of the sun." Moffitt reminded them. "With the right angle he won't have any trouble at all."

"Be ready to pull the net, just in case." Troy ordered.

"This tub can't outrun a plane." Tully drawled.

"Or a bomb." Hitch added.

"Neither can we." Troy growled. "And I don't know about you but I'd rather take my chances on wheels."

"Just so you don't expect our usual maneuvers." Tully warned.

"I'm hoping we don't need to run at all." Troy answered in a softer tone. "But if we do, just do your best."

"I wish we had one of the 50's." Hitch added with a sigh.

Troy looked over at his driver and grinned. "What? You don't trust Tully's driving?"

Hitch glanced over to see if Tully looked insulted. "Sure I do Sarge; I just don't trust the German mechanics. They can never keep these tubs running."

Moffitt chuckled as Hitch turned red faced.

"I'm not mad Hitch." Tully grinned. "It just so happens that I agreed with you."

"He's leaving." Troy announced.

"I guess the sun was on our side today." Moffitt relaxed against the car.

"The day's not over Doctor." Troy sat on the ground by the car, still under the netting. "And these old tracks aren't going to take us all the way to where we want to go. We need to find a German patrol."

"A German patrol? What for?" Hitch blurted.

"So we can pick up a second car." Troy explained. "Germans patrols almost always have two cars. The Germans are looking for a single car. If we had a second car we could pass for a patrol and run out in the open."

"Until they noticed that there are only two men to a car." Moffitt added. "Patrol cars carry a four man crew."

"How do you feel about riding with dead men?"

Moffitt raised his eyebrows.

"We could put them in the back seat by themselves if you're squeamish." Troy grinned at the others.

"Let's go find a patrol." Moffitt answered for all of them.

Finding a patrol that they could ambush turned out to be harder than they expected. The first one they saw was out in the open where they could not approach undetected. They spotted the second one just as the plane reappeared. By the time they could come out of hiding the patrol was gone. Three turned out to be the charm. The third patrol was just entering a series of small hills that allowed the Allies to sneak up in them.

Covering their stolen car with a net the four men positioned themselves atop a hill they expected the patrol to pass. Troy gave each man his orders. Make it fast. Don't let them radio for help. Try not to damage the cars.

As the patrol cars rolled past them in single file Troy opened fire. That was the signal for the others to take out the crews. Most of the Germans fell in the first volley. Both drivers were among the dead before the remaining soldiers could react. The Allies had the advantage since the attack was unexpected and the Germans didn't know where the attackers were hidden. One by one the crews of both patrol cars fell victim to the Rat Patrol's deadly accuracy.

Troy waved his arm and sent everyone to check for survivors.

"This one is still breathing Sarge." Hitch called. He stood over the wounded soldier as the others checked the other Germans.

"All dead." Moffitt announced as he knelt by the wounded soldier.

"No survivors." Tully added as he joined the others.

"Tully, check the cars."

Tully nodded and ran to the cars.

"Hitch, stand guard."

Hitch turned without a word and headed for the top of the hill.

"How is he?" Troy leaned over Moffitt's shoulder and watched him work.

"Not good. I don't think he's going to make it." The Brit announced. "The bullet did too much damage."

"Did you find a first aid kit in any of the cars?"

"Yes." Moffitt sighed. "But there is only so much I can do Troy. I'm not a real doctor you know. I doubt if this man would make it even if the hospital were on the other side of those cars."

Troy nodded his understanding. He knew how helpless Moffitt felt when he couldn't help the wounded, heck; he shared that feeling more than he wanted to admit. "Make him as comfortable as you can. We'll hang around a few minutes and wait."

Moffitt nodded and went back to his patient.

Tully came over a few minutes later to report that both patrol cars had come through with only minor damage.

"Good, we have to get rid of four of these guys. We can bury them and take the dog tags with us."

"What about the other four?"

"Did you think I was kidding about riding with dead men?" Troy watched Tully for a reaction.

"Sort of."

"I wasn't." Troy shook his head. "We need to get this information back as quick as we can. If that means using dead men as decoys then that's what we'll do. We'll be less noticeable with four men to a car. We can give them a decent burial after we deliver these plans. A lot of lives depend on it."

"Okay Sarge, I get it. Which ones are we taking with us?"

"Whichever ones you don't bury." Troy answered.

Tully nodded silently and went for a shovel.

"Troy."

Troy turned at Moffitt's call.

"Hold up Tully." Moffitt urged. "Troy, are we really going to use the dead as decoys?"

"I don't like it either Moffitt but it's a way to get the plane off our trail."

"In that case may I make another suggestion?"

"What is it?"

"We now have three cars." Moffitt went on as Troy nodded. "The Germans are looking for a single car." Troy nodded again. "Why not leave the other dead in the car we leave behind? The plane will spot it and report it. With any luck they will think that we ran into a patrol and got wiped out."

"They'll send someone to check Moffitt."

"Of course." The Brit smiled. "But we're awfully close to our lines. By the time they get someone here to discover the truth we will be long gone and perhaps even home safe."

Troy looked over at Tully. "Okay, just load the dead into the patrol car. We'll plant a grenade under the car so it looks like they hit a mine." At Moffitt's questioning look Troy grinned. "They'll want to know why this wasn't reported. A patrol would have been on the radio right away to say they got us. If they think we hit a mine they might not question it. They'll still send out a patrol to check, but it might buy us some time."

Moffitt chewed on his lip and looked toward the cars. "It can't do any harm."

"Do it Tully." Troy ordered. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

"It worked, he's not coming back for a second look." Hitch watched the plane fly over their heads and keep going.

"Keep driving anyway. Any change in speed or direction will look suspicious."

"We're almost to the American lines Sarge, they're going to get suspicious if we don't turn soon. Their patrols don't usually cross the line."

"Wait until the plane is gone before you make any changes."

Hitch nodded and chewed on his gum. He was down to his last piece and he was eager to get to the American base so he could get some more. Of course, that wasn't the only reason he wanted to get there. He was tired and hungry and ready to relax for a few minutes, or hours, or days.

Tully pulled up next to Hitch and Moffitt cupped his hands around his mouth to be heard above the clatter of the German engines. "Dust ahead Troy."

Hitch looked over in surprise. He hadn't seen any dust.

"They aren't close yet but they are directly in our path." The Brit smiled as if reading Hitch's mind.

"How far ahead?" Troy called as he looked for the tell-tale dust.

"Perhaps a mile or more." The Brit answered. "Tully spotted it above those hills in the distance."

"All right, change course and let's try to avoid contact. The closer we are to our lines the better chance we have of delivering this package."

Tully took the lead and led them around the hills where he had spotted the dust. The hills were low and the patrol cars managed to cross then easily. Tully was trying to use the hills for cover but there were times they had to reveal themselves to cross over the top. Troy and Moffitt kept their eyes open for the source of the dust as the drivers concentrated on staying out of sight.

The plane returned and caught them crossing over one of the hills. This time the pilot took a second look and this time he realized that something wasn't right. He gave the plane more power and it roared up into the sky where he began a strafing run.

The two cars split up and the sergeant's used their machine guns to shoot at the soft underbelly of the aircraft. The pilot soared past and began to turn for another run. Tully and Hitch headed for the open desert where they had more room to maneuver. The bulky patrol cars didn't handle like their jeeps and both drivers fought to get the most from their vehicles.

The pilot opened fire again and the bullets tore into the body of Hitch's car. Troy tried to drive the plane away by aiming for the pilot. The German flyer ignored the bullets that bounced off his canopy and stayed on course. Hitch twisted the wheel and the car slid sideways. The pilot tried to correct his aim but he didn't have much time. The bullets tore into the engine compartment, stopping the car, but missing Troy and Hitch.

Tully took his car up the slope of the next hill. Moffitt used his machine gun to aim at the fuel tank on the plane. With his higher angle he was more fortunate than Troy. The bullets punched through the outer shell and penetrated the fuel tank. The resulting explosion sent shrapnel flying in every direction. Pieces of the plane rained down on the cars below.

Hitch ducked a burning piece of metal and squeezed lower in the car. He heard Troy cry out as more burning material dropped around them. "You hit Sarge?"

"No." Troy grumbled. "Just some burning material. Scorched my arm a bit."

"Your hair is singed too." Hitch announced as he took a closer look at the sergeant.

"So is yours." Troy grinned as Hitch immediately reached up to check his hair.

"Is everyone all right?"

Tully pulled to a stop next to Troy's car as Moffitt scanned his friends for injures.

"Yeah, thanks to you and Tully." Troy looked over at the remains of the plane that lay smoldering in the sand. "I really miss our jeeps."

Tully and Hitch both grinned at the comment.

"Sarge, we need to do some repairs on this car if it's going to get us home." Hitch warned.

"He probably called in our position. We should get moving."

"We can leave this car and the dead Germans behind." Hitch suggested.

"I don't want to do that unless we have to. If we can fix the car we should do that. The next attack might damage one beyond repair."

"Okay." Hitch answered as he went to work on the car.

A half hour later Tully and Hitch dropped the hood on the car and wiped their hands. Troy looked up when they walked over to hm. "All ready Sarge."

"Good. Let's get out of here."

"Which way Sarge?" Tully asked.

"Let's make a run for the base." Troy decided. "They know we took the plans so they're going to go all out to stop us from reaching our side. We'll get as close as we can before they catch up to us."

The cars started off again once again running side by side. Tully chose a course that would get them to the American lines by the shortest route.

They were reminded of the earlier dust sighting when the bullets started raining down on them. Tully and Hitch quickly ducked behind the next hill and circled around the attackers. Troy and Moffitt prepared to shoot their way through the soldiers blocking their path. Their guns were aimed, their fingers on the triggers, but both men held their fire. The soldiers turning to face them were American.

Troy threw his hands into the air, letting his weapon drop between his knees. Hitch hit the brakes and slid to a stop, keeping both hands in plain view on the steering wheel. Tully slowed and stopped next to Hitch as Moffitt allowed his weapon to fall from his hands. The four of them sat in the German patrol cars wearing German uniforms and facing one of their own units.

For several tense moments they expected to feel bullets hitting their bodies. The American soldiers facing them seemed as stunned as they felt.

"We're Americans!" Troy called out before the soldiers could recover from the surprise of being out flanked.

"Keep your hands in the air." A sergeant called out as he ordered men forward to take their weapons.

"They're in the air.' Troy answered. "Tell your men not to get trigger happy."

The sergeant kept them covered until his men stepped away and gave the all clear. "Who are you?" The sergeant demanded.

Troy told him.

"What are you doing out here posing as Germans?"

"Trying to stay alive." Troy replied. "We broke out of a German base and had to travel across German territory with half of the German forces looking for us. This was the best way we could find to accomplish our mission."

"I suppose you can prove everything you say?"

"Not hardly." Troy answered. "The only thing we have that says we're us is us. We couldn't carry any papers with us. We do have our dog tags."

"Maybe I can help Sergeant."

All three sergeants turned at the voice.

"Luke!" Troy called. "Glad to see you made it back okay. I thought you were on leave."

"Typical army." Luke snorted. "It got canceled. Headquarters says the Germans are planning something and all leaves were canceled until further notice."

"Do you know these men Private Stevenson?" The sergeant asked.

"Sure do Sarge." Luke answered. "We delivered them to some Arabs in German territory a few days ago." He looked at Troy. "I guess you didn't find whatever it was you were after. We weren't expecting you back so soon."

"We got it." Troy replied. "And now we need to deliver it to headquarters. The German offensive starts tomorrow."

"Holy cow! Captain Kaufman was right; you guys were the right men for the job." He turned to the sergeant in charge. "We have to get these guys back to Captain Kaufman right away. This could be something really big!"

"Hey, you're back!" Carson Stewart walked up with Martin Bartholomew by his side. "That was fast!"

"They say the Germans are planning something for tomorrow." Luke told his friends.

"Private! If this is so important then I think we should head back to the base." The sergeant in charge declared. Turning to Troy he eyed the patrol cars. "Your men can bring the cars. You can ride in the truck with me. We'll deal with the men you lost later. Your men can drop them off at the morgue."

"Thank you Sergeant." Troy replied. "But they aren't mine. They really are German. We just needed a few extra bodies to fool the Germans."

"Dead bodies?"

"Less trouble than live ones." Troy shrugged.

"I suggest we get moving." Moffitt spoke up. "Jerry isn't happy with us at present and we are expecting him to keep coming after us."

"In force." Troy added.

"Are you the ones who took out that plane?"

"Yes, but he most likely radioed our position." Moffitt warned. "And there are no doubt ground troops heading this way as we speak."

"All right." The sergeant agreed. "Get those cars in line with our trucks and we'll head for the base. Captain Kaufman's leave was cancelled too so we can hand you over to him."

Troy nodded. "Hitch, Tully wheel those cars around and get in line. We'll see you back at the base."

"Right Sarge." He hurried to obey the command. He wasn't eager to get caught wearing a German uniform, driving a stolen patrol car and carrying dead German soldiers around. Tully nodded and followed Hitch.

"Stevenson, Stewart, ride with them back to the base." The sergeant ordered. The American troops climbed into the trucks parked nearby and they all headed for the base.

"How come you have dead men riding with you?" Luke asked Hitch with obvious distaste.

"We couldn't get them to walk on their own. They refused to take a single step. What other choice did we have?" Hitch answered with a straight face.

Luke looked surprised at first but then he laughed. "Okay, if you don't want to tell me."

"A patrol car carries four men." Hitch explained. "And they travel in pairs. We needed to fool anyone who saw us from a distance. They're not very good company but they got the job done."

When Carson asked Tully the same question Tully said the Germans were along in case they needed someone to push. Carson looked at the silent passengers and kept quiet.

Tully spotted the two patrol cars watching them from a hill. The Germans apparently didn't want to take on a group the size of the American one. They got back into their cars and disappeared into the hills.

There was dust behind them at one point but the trucks weren't heavily loaded and they easily out distanced the pursuit. The American base was a welcome sight. The four men were given a chance to change into American uniforms before they were ushered into the presence of Captain Kaufman.

"Well Sergeant, it looks like you were the right men for the job. Lieutenant Daniels and Sergeant Kline say you have important information for me."

"Yes sir." Troy replied as he pulled the packet out of his shirt. "The entire German offensive. Troop strengths and movements, armor and artillery, dates, places, maps, all of it."

"Do they know you have it?"

"Yes sir." Troy admitted. "But they don't have time to change anything. They'll either have to go with it as it is or cancel the offensive."

"Why is that?" The captain asked with a frown on his face.

"Because it is scheduled to start tomorrow morning."

The room got quiet as Troy dropped his bombshell of an announcement.

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Yes sir."

"Let me see those papers Sergeant!" The captain reached for the packet in Troy's hand. Turning to his orderly he snapped instructions. "Call a meeting of all officers in my office in an hour. I want everybody, on duty or not." The office became an instant center of activity. Taking a seat the captain began to sort through the papers Troy had brought. "And find me someone who can read German!"

"Perhaps I could be of service." Moffitt volunteered.

"You read German?"

"Of course." The Brit replied. "How else would we know just what it is we have in that packet?"

"Well start translating Sergeant, tomorrow morning doesn't give us much time."

"I'll make two copies so that you can send one on to headquarters." The sergeant offered.

The captain nodded and yelled for his clerk. "Get Sergeant Moffitt some carbon paper! And he needs some blank paper too. Make it fast!" He stood up and motioned for Moffitt to use his desk and chair. "Tomorrow morning. We need to alert the surrounding bases and tell them what to expect." He was still mumbling to himself as he walked out of his office.

Troy grinned at Moffitt after the captain left. "We sure stirred up a hornet's nest."

"He didn't even say thanks." Tully grinned.

"Can we go now Sarge?" Hitch asked.

Just then Captain Kaufman stuck his head back in his door. "Good work Sergeant. Why don't you and your men find some place out of the way and get some rest? I'm sure you haven't had much lately as busy as you've been." He disappeared into the hall again only to reappear quickly. "All but Sergeant Moffitt that is; we need him to finish the translations before he can go."

Moffitt looked up and smiled.

"I'll see if I can find you some help." The captain promised before he disappeared again.

Troy chuckled. "That's what you get for volunteering. We're heading over to the mess hall to get something to eat; we'll bring something back for you."

"Thank you." Moffitt replied absently. His mind was already focused on the papers he was translating.


	8. Chapter 8

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 8

"Sergeant Troy?"

"Yeah, that's me." Troy responded. "What is it?"

"Captain Kaufman wants to see you right away,"

It had been roughly three hours since their arrival on the base and Troy, Pettigrew, and Hitchcock had eaten, showered, and found their assigned bunks. They had taken Moffitt a meal and the other sergeant was still hard at work translating the pile of papers they had taken from the Germans. The three of them had just returned to their room to try to get some rest. The knock on the door changed their plans.

"Want us to go along Sarge?" Hitch asked from his seat on his borrowed bunk.

"No sense all of us losing sleep. You two stay here, I'll send for you if I need you."

Captain Kaufman was pacing in front of his office door when Troy arrived. "There you are Sergeant. We have a bit of a problem."

"Only one?" Troy asked with a hint of a smile. "Maybe Moffitt hasn't gotten to the others yet."

The officer looked surprised at Troy's response until he saw the grin the sergeant was trying to hold back. "I suppose you're right." He sighed heavily. "But Sergeant Moffitt seems to think that your unit can handle this one alone."

Troy looked past the captain toward the office door. "He does, does he? Maybe you'd better tell me more about this problem."

"Come inside Sergeant Troy, Sergeant Moffitt can answer your questions better than I can." Captain Kaufman turned and led the way into his office.

Moffitt was still seated at the desk with stacks of papers all around him. Two other soldiers were working on translating other papers at another desk.

"Where are Tully and Hitch?" Moffitt asked when he looked up and saw that Troy was alone.

"Trying to get some rest." Troy answered. "The captain tells me you're volunteering again."

The British sergeant smiled apologetically. "That's right." He nodded. "I found the plans to attack this base."

"And you want us to try and stop it?"

"Exactly Troy, but there isn't much time."

"I know." Troy nodded. "The assault starts tomorrow morning." He waited for Moffitt or the captain to explain what they expected his unit to do to stop a full-on assault.

"There is a group of tanks and halftracks headed for this base as we speak." Moffitt began. "They are supposed to arrive at a wadi near here and camp overnight. They will launch their attack early tomorrow morning."

"Do we know which wadi they plan to use?"

Moffitt rose from behind the desk and walked over to a map on the wall. He stabbed a finger at a spot near the base. "Approximately here. There can't be that many large enough to hide a force the size of the one headed here. I'm certain that we can determine the correct one once we go out and look at them."

Troy moved closer to look at the map. "Why not send some mortar teams out to deal with them?"

"They'd see us coming." Captain Kaufman explained. "That whole area is pretty open except for those wadis."

Troy chewed his lip. "How are we supposed to stop them? If you can't slip a mortar team in there without being seen then they'd be able to see us too."

"Sergeant Moffitt seems to think that you will figure it out." The captain sounded uncertain. "He has faith in you."

"Are we sure they'll be there?"

"Not one hundred percent." Moffitt admitted. "But if they haven't canceled the operation I think it's highly likely that they will go ahead with this part. If the plan is to have any success they will need that armor. And there are very few places within striking distance that they can hide it."

"But we know about them."

"That's true Sergeant, but the Germans may not know that we have enough translators to get through all of the papers." The captain explained. "They may still think they can surprise us with some of their plans. Headquarters has been expecting something to happen. That's why they sent your team to try to get the plans. Only they expected the main attack to be somewhere else. Most of our armor has been sent to the areas they thought were most at risk. We can't handle a force the size of the one Jerry is sending our way. We don't have the men or the equipment for an attack like that. We'd try of course, but I don't know if we could hold out until help could arrive."

"So you want us to blow up those tanks and halftracks before they reach the base?"

"Yes." Captain Kaufman replied simply. "Can you do it?"

"All we can do is try Captain. I'd better go wake my men."

"I'll send someone to do that." The captain offered. "I'll let you and Sergeant Moffitt here to come up with a plan." He left the office to find someone to go wake Hitch and Tully.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to volunteer for anything in the Army?" Troy asked without taking his eyes off of the map.

"I couldn't figure out how to get those tanks." Moffitt smiled tiredly. "But I have complete faith in you; you'll come up with something."

"They'll see us coming before we get anywhere close."

"It will be dark."

"We can't drive a jeep across a flat desert without being spotted, not even in the moonlight." Troy argued. "Or do you have that much faith in Hitch and Tully too?"

Moffitt smiled again. "If anyone could do it, they could." He shook his head. "But no, I can't expect that of them."

"We could walk in but we still run the risk of being seen and then we'd be on foot. It's too far to walk in and too exposed to drive." Troy spoke aloud.

"Would it be possible to plant our charges before they got there? Perhaps mine the road?" Moffitt abandoned the papers he was translating to stand next to Troy and look at the map.

Troy shook his head, "They'll avoid the road if they don't want to be spotted. Besides, we'd only get one or two before the others scattered; that wouldn't be much help."

"Mine the wadi?"

"They'd stop gong in after the first one hit a mine."

"Wired charges?"

Troy paused to look over at Moffitt. "They'd have to be buried deep so that the tanks didn't expose the wires."

Moffitt nodded. "We could do that."

"That still leaves us with the problem of how to set them off."

"Timers perhaps?"

"That would only alert them if we picked the wrong wadi. No, we need to make sure we have the right place before we make any noise. We're only going to get one shot at this."

Moffitt sighed tiredly. "I'm sorry old man; I thought we were the Captain's best chance of getting the job done."

"We are." Troy admitted. "This is our ball of wax, it's what we do. None of the usual methods will work, not with what we have to work with."

Tully and Hitch walked in while they were still trying to come up with a solution. The privates listened and watched as the sergeants threw ideas back and forth.

Finally Troy threw his hands up in frustration. "Wired charges are still the best way to go but we need some way to set them off after we visually confirm the targets."

"Maybe we could build us a blind, like a duck blind. We could hide close by until we set off the charges and run in the confusion." Tully suggested.

"No." Troy argued. "We'd be on foot and the Germans would cut us down before we could reach the jeeps. There's nowhere to hide the jeeps close by."

"What if only one of us hid in the blind?" Tully asked. "I could set off the charges and the rest of you could come running in the jeeps to pick me up."

"You'd still be exposed and they'd target you before we could reach you."

"If I stayed in the blind they would have to find me first. After dark with all that confusion." Tully shrugged. "You might have time to get to me before they did."

"Maybe they wouldn't shoot to kill." Hitch suggested. "Maybe they'd try to catch the guy to find out how much we know."

"They might try to capture him." Troy agreed. "But if it looked like he was going to get away, they'd shoot to kill."

"Troy's correct." Moffitt added. "They might try to capture him but they would kill him before they would allow him to escape."

"What if they thought he wasn't going to escape?"

"Say that again." Troy ordered.

"I said, what if they thought he wasn't going to escape. Instead of picking him up in jeeps, what if we picked him up in patrol cars?"

Moffitt looked at Troy hopefully. "If they thought that the patrol cars were going to capture him they might hold their fire."

"It's risky Moffitt."

"What other choices do we have?"

"They know we have the plans. They'll suspect that we know about that wadi."

Moffitt shook his head. "The wadi isn't specifically mentioned in the report. I figured that out on my own from several references to the armor. The area around it is exposed. I'm certain they will have scouts out to check the area before they move into the wadi. Any blind would have to be well hidden."

"How well?"

Moffitt paused to think. His eyes fell on some supplies stacked along the wall of the building outside of the office window. He was smiling when he turned to answer Troy. "I think I have an idea that will work. We need an empty crate, one with a lid."

Hitch and Tully were sent to acquire an empty crate from supply. Troy and Moffitt continued to plan their next move.

"Okay." Troy nodded. "If we go out there now we can get there before the armor. We should have plenty of time to plant the charges. I told Hitch and Tully to get plenty of explosives and wire along with a detonator for multiple charges."

"The man who stays will have to be in place well before dark." Moffitt warned. "The Germans could send someone ahead in the daylight to make sure that the wadi is clear."

"Okay, so we wire it and leave someone behind to set off the charges. I don't want to wait for the detonations to go after him; we'll be too far away. I think we should set a time and have the patrol cars begin a perimeter sweep in plain sight. It might distract the Germans while they figure out where the patrol came from.

"I would suggest sometime between 0100 hours and 0300 hours. If our luck holds the Germans will be in place and perhaps even trying to get some rest before morning."

Troy nodded. "That sounds about right."

"Are we going to be in German uniform?"

"No." Troy shook his head. "It's going to be too dark to distinguish uniforms until too late. I don't want to risk getting caught out of uniform."

"I hardly think it will matter." Moffitt answered. "If we get caught they will shoot us no matter what we are wearing."

"Then we won't get caught." Troy grinned.


	9. Chapter 9

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

Burying the charges was hot, dry work. They had to bury plenty of them because they had no idea where're the vehicles would actually park once they drove into the wadi.

Hitch finished burying the last wire as Troy and Moffitt finished the blind. They had taken the crate that Troy had sent the privates to get and buried it in the sand near the top of the wadi. The one who stayed behind would hide in the crate with sand brushed over the lid as cover and wait until the armor was in place. At the appointed time he would sneak out and check to be sure everything was ready. Using a shielded flashlight he would alert the others that it was time. Ten minutes later he would detonate the charges, hopefully eliminating most of the armor. He would then make a run for it, allowing the patrol cars to cut him off and capture him. It was hoped that in the confusion the Germans would not see him until he had a head start and they would allow their patrol to bring him back.

After all of the wires were attached and ready for detonation Troy dropped into the crate.

"What are you doing Sarge?" Tully asked. "I thought I was staying."

"I can't ask anyone else to do this." Troy answered. "Besides, Moffitt needs you to drive his car; he's going to be covering me."

"This was my idea Troy; I should be the one to stay." Moffitt urged.

"I'm staying so let's not argue about it." Troy growled. "You know where to hide the cars. Stay out of sight until I give the signal." Tully and Moffitt nodded but they didn't look happy.

"Sarge."

Troy twisted to face his driver, expecting him to have an argument for him too.

"Here, you might need these." Hitch handed him two full canteens of water and a machine gun. "We'll be waiting for your signal."

Troy took the items and nodded. He had already said all that needed to be said. He ducked into the crate and the others slid the lid into place before brushing a light coating of sand over the top. He hugged the canteens and settled in to take a nap before the Germans arrived to wake him up.

Hitch, Tully, and Moffitt carefully erased any trace of their presence before they left to hide the cars. Each one looked back to see if they could see the hidden crate but it blended well with the surrounding sand. None of them slept as they watched the wadi from a distance and waited for the Germans.

"What if they find him?" Hitch asked.

"I didn't hear you trying to talk Troy out of staying." Moffitt answered.

Hitch shrugged. "I know better. Once he makes up his mind you may as well accept it, that's what's going to happen." Hitch glanced at Moffitt as he sat in the front seat of the patrol car. "You believe this is going to work, don't you?"

"Yes I do." Moffitt admitted. "It's just that I am the one who volunteered us for this assignment and I think I should have been the one to take the most risk."

Hitch nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe having you here instead of Troy will turn out to be a good thing." He glanced at Moffitt in time to catch the annoyed look on the sergeant's face. "I didn't mean it that way Doc! I just meant that you speak German. If it looks like they might be thinking of shooting Troy you could start yelling at him in German and tell him to surrender. That might make a difference. Maybe give Sarge a better chance."

"That's a very good idea Hitch." Moffitt praised. "And I wasn't thinking that you were insulting me. I was just feeling guilty for getting Troy into this."

The blond chuckled. "Sarge is probably enjoying it. He likes this stuff about as well as you like your cloak and dagger stuff. Sarge likes to pit his brains against the Germans. He gets a kick out of outsmarting them."

"He told you that?"

"He didn't have to." Hitch answered. "Just watch his eyes when he comes up with a plan that no one thought he could make work."

"He is a master at his chosen profession." Moffitt agreed.

"He didn't choose to fight a war, it just sort of happened, but he does his job to the best of his ability."

"We were lucky when we drew this assignment." Tully agreed.

"Sitting here waiting for Troy?" Moffitt asked in confusion.

"The Rat Patrol." Tully answered.

"Oh. Yes, I agree there. I feel the same way."

"Hey Doc, it's getting late. Do you think they're almost here?"

"I would think if they were coming they would be close Tully."

"I hope so, it's getting cold. I hope Sarge isn't too cold to move around out there. He can't stretch like we can to keep warm."

"I should have given him a blanket." Hitch said.

"You're worried?" Moffitt asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm worried." Hitch admitted.

"Good, for a minute there I thought I was the only one." Moffitt smiled at Hitch's disbelieving snort.

Darkness fell and the sounds of armor reached their ears. The heavy grind of metal on metal identified the tanks without needing to see them.

"Keep your eyes open for scouts.' Moffitt warned the younger men. "I doubt they'll look this far out but we can't afford to take any chances."

Both privates nodded as they watched the distant wadi. The Germans were staying below the skyline but there was no way they could hide the sounds of the heavy vehicles. All three men listened as the tanks and halftracks filed into the wadi and shut their engines down. The silence was heavy with anticipation as the men watched for the flashlight signal.

"Perhaps you should wait in the cars." Moffitt suggested. "I will watch for Troy's signal and let you know when it is time to go."

Both privates nodded and slid down the hill to the patrol cars. Moffitt focused his field glasses on the spot where they had buried the crate and waited breathlessly. When the signal finally came he almost missed it. He had been scanning the top of the wadi trying to locate any guards walking the perimeter of the camp. He ran down the slope and slid into the front seat of Tully's car.

"I miss our jeeps." Tully moaned as he reached for the starter of the German car.

"I miss the 50." Moffitt added.

"I miss Sarge." Hitch chimed in.

Moffitt smiled. "Then let's go get him."

The two patrol cars left the shelter of the hill and began to circle the wadi. Ten minutes later they had completed a full circle and were starting again. The explosions lit up the sky. They could hear voices shouting in pain and confusion as they turned toward the wadi. The cars slowed slightly as all three men scanned the desert for a sign of Troy.

"There's Sarge!" Hitch called as he stepped on the gas.

"Don't head directly for him." Moffitt called in warning. "He hasn't been spotted yet. We don't want to attract attention to him until we need to."

Both cars moved closer to the wadi while Troy continued to run away from it. Suddenly muzzle flashes announced that Troy had been spotted. The sergeant began to zigzag to avoid the bullets. Both cars turned toward him and Moffitt began to yell in German for him to stop and surrender. Troy ran until the bullets started coming too close then he stopped and raised his hands above his head. A voice behind him called for the soldiers to hold their fire. The Germans watched as the patrol cars stopped next to the fleeing figure. Hitch stopped between Troy and the Germans to give him cover in case any of the soldiers decided to fire again. Moffitt shouted at him again as he stepped out of the car to take him into custody. It wasn't until the cars drove away with the prisoner that the Germans realized that things hadn't gone the way they expected.

"Are you all right Troy?" Moffitt searched the other sergeant for injuries.

"I'm fine Moffitt." Troy replied. "Yelling at me in German was inspired. If they weren't confused before, they are now."

Moffitt smiled. "Actually it was Hitch's idea. He thought it might make them think twice before they shot you."

"I can't argue with success."

"Did we get the tanks?"

The car slowed and Hitch pulled up next to Tully as Moffitt asked the question.

"Yeah, we got them." Troy answered. "Maybe not all of them were destroyed but we damaged them bad enough that I don't think they'll go ahead with the attack. I guess tomorrow morning will tell for sure."

"Tomorrow should be interesting." Tully drawled.

Troy laughed. "Is that what you call it?"

"It won't be boring."

"No," Troy cocked his head to the side, "it definitely won't be boring."

"Troy, what's that wet spot on your sleeve?"

Troy looked down to see blood seeping from his forearm. He fingered the hole in his sleeve. "I guess they nicked me after all."

"You'd better let me take a look."

"It's not bad Moffitt."

"Then let me put a bandage on it." Moffitt ordered. "We can't have you with an infection tomorrow morning."

Troy reluctantly agreed.

"Hitch, stand on the top of the hill and make sure we weren't followed." Moffitt ordered. "Tully, can you find me a medical kit? Troy, I need your flashlight."

Hitch had his back to the cars when Tully joined him. "Anything?"

"No, I don't think they're following us."

"Good." Tully nodded as he looked at Hitch. "It's just a scratch. The bullet nicked his arm. Doc put a bandage on it and said it will be fine."

Hitch turned with a frown. "He should have told us he was hit."

Tully grinned.

"He could have been badly hurt and hiding it from us." Hitch insisted.

"Now who would do a thing like that?"

"Okay, so I have a time or two." Hitch admitted. "But this is Sarge! We need him!"

"We need you too."

"The team can do without me. If we lose Sarge…" Hitch shook his head. "I needed to know!"

Tully laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hitch demanded.

"Now you know how Sarge feels when you get hurt."

"Yeah, but I don't do it on purpose." Hitch argued.

"Neither did he."

"He took an awful chance."

"You wanted to take the same chance." Tully pointed out. "Any one of us would have done it."

"But we're talking about Sarge. You can do without me but we need Sarge."

"You're wrong." Tully shook his head.

"We do need Sarge." Hitch hissed. "Without him the team would be disbanded."

"Yeah, we need Sarge." Tully agreed. "But we need you too. This is a team. We are what we are because of all of us. None of us are expendable. If we lose someone the team might survive but it would be changed forever. It would not be the same team we have now."

"I'm not planning on going anywhere." Hitch answered sullenly.

"Good to know, but I bet Sarge would say the same thing."

"Tully, Hitch, we're moving out!"

Tully smiled at Hitch and punched him playfully in the arm. "Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10

**Major Mix-up **

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 10

The morning came and the entire base went on high alert. Captain Kaufman had asked Troy and Moffitt to come to his office bright and early. They hadn't gotten in until nearly dawn and the little sleep they had managed to catch hadn't done much for their energy levels. Both of them were hollow eyed and sluggish when they knocked on the captain's door.

"Sorry to chase you out of bed after the night you had but I need your services again." The captain explained as he stood behind his desk. "You come highly recommended as a recon team and we need to know what Jerry is going to do now that they have lost the element of surprise."

"Were you able to get a spotter plane up to see how much of the armor survived?" Troy asked around a yawn.

"There isn't one available right now." The captain answered. "Jerry has a large convoy coming in by ship and all available planes are being sent to bomb it. The fighters are providing cover for the bombers."

"You don't need a fighter Captain, just a scout plane."

"The German fighter will be out in force and it's too dangerous for an unarmed spotter plane."

Troy nodded. "Some of those fighter pilots are good."

"So are our pilots but they can't take on a fighter without armament."

Troy nodded again. "Okay, so where do you want us to look? We can check on that armored unit, see what survived."

"Do that first." The captain agreed. "Then I want you to do a recon of the surrounding area and see if the Germans are moving anything in our direction. Lieutenant Todd will give you the codes for today so you can radio in if you find anything."

"May we borrow the jeeps again? Those patrol cars are too slow."

"Of course Sergeant."

"Do we have time to eat breakfast before we leave?"

"Take all the time you want, as long as it's not too long. Something tells me that Jerry was up early this morning."

"At least they go to bed." Troy grumbled under his breath.

Moffitt smiled and Captain Kaufman pretended not to hear him.

"We'll pick up the jeeps, stock them with the basics, and leave within the hour." Troy promised.

"God enough Sergeant, and I promise you can sleep once this is over." Captain Kaufman smiled at Troy's contrite expression.

"All right." Troy began as they left the captain's office. "Why don't you go wake Tully and Hitch and tell them to pick up the jeeps? I'll arrange for the supplies. We'll meet over at the mess hall. We can drive over and pick up the supplies after we eat. They should be ready by then."

It was a quiet breakfast except for the yawning that seemed contagious. One of them would yawn and within seconds the others would have to yawn too. Troy decided they should walk to supply to pick up their order, just to wake them up.

"We'll have to keep an eye on those two or we could end up in Timbuktu." Moffitt laughed as Tully tried to hide another yawn.

Troy frowned. "It's funny now, but it won't be if we need their sharp reflexes to get us out of trouble."

"In a case like that the adrenaline will kick in and wake them up." Moffitt replied.

"I hope so. Jerry's crawling all over the area and we're all exhausted."

Troy blamed it on lack of sleep. They nearly ran into the surviving armor from the wadi. The two jeeps crested a hill only to find themselves nose to nose with two tanks climbing up the other side. The noise alone should have alerted them even though the sounds were muffled by the walls of sand.

The Germans were as surprised as the Allies. For precious seconds they sat atop the tank hatches and stared at the small vehicles facing them. It wasn't until Hitch yelled and put his jeep in reverse that the Germans reacted. They dropped into their tanks and pulled the hatches closed after them.

The turret gunners couldn't get the barrels low enough to find the jeeps in their sights until the tanks crested the hill. Once the tanks leveled out the rapidly departing American vehicles fit into the crosshairs of the iron sights. The crews worked frantically to lower the barrels before the jeeps could escape.

The guns boomed and the first shells missed the racing jeeps by yards. Tully and Hitch immediately changed course to force the gunners to adjust their aim.

The second round of shells landed in front of the jeeps throwing sand onto their occupants as the vehicles raced through the dust cloud. Troy gave a shout just before the tanks fired again. The drivers reacted by separating and driving off in different directions. That round of shells landed between the jeeps, adding more dust to the haze that already clouded the vision of the gun crew. Both jeeps burst out of the dust and left the slower moving armor behind.

Troy didn't call a halt until they had covered several miles. As the jeeps rolled to a stop he grabbed his binoculars and ran to a high point to check behind them.

"They aren't yawning now." Moffitt told Troy as he joined him on the hill.

"That was too close!"

"I guess we found what we were looking for though. Now we know at least some of the tanks survived."

"Yeah." Troy grunted. "I guess it was too much to hope that we'd get them all."

"Every one we get is one less to attack the base."

Troy nodded but didn't look away as he watched the tanks climb out of the wadi followed by three halftracks. Some of the halftracks appeared to be damaged and they were only a small fraction of what the Troy had seen parked in the wadi before he detonated the charges.

"I count four tanks, six halftracks, and a few patrol cars."

"I agree." Moffitt nodded after looking through his own glasses. "The base may have to deal with the tanks and halftracks but they should be able to handle such a small number."

"We'd better call it in." Troy decided. "Keep your eye on them."

Troy coded the message to the base with the numbers and location of the armor. He warned the base that they were headed their way. Shutting the radio off he checked on his men. Moffitt was still watching the armor while Tully and Hitch were standing on the hoods of their jeeps watching the desert around them.

"Moffitt." When the Brit turned to look at him Troy waved him down. "We found the armor, now we can concentrate on the recon." He tapped Hitch on the leg to get his attention. "Go up on the hill and keep watch. Once we map out the next part of the assignment I'll call you." Turning back to Moffitt he pulled the maps out of their gear.

"It's a good thing you thought to bring the maps. This entire area is unfamiliar to me."

"It's definitely easier in our usual haunts. We know the terrain and the enemy there." Troy admitted. "But our orders are to recon this area."

"Where should we start?" Moffitt bent over the map that Troy held on the hood of the jeep.

Troy shrugged. "Any ideas?"

"This area here looks familiar." Moffitt drew a circle on the map with his finger.

"I thought you said you didn't know this area." Troy frowned as he tried to remember what Moffitt had told him.

"I don't know the area." Moffitt replied. "But I did get plenty of chances to look at the maps that were in the packet we brought back. It seems to me that this was a staging area for something, but I didn't get that far in the translation before I was pulled off to go with you."

"Would Captain Kaufman know?"

"I have no idea how far his men have gotten in the translations. There were quite a few pages to translate, plus maps and diagrams."

"Okay, so we'll check that area first. If they haven't got that far in the translations maybe we can save them the trouble."

Troy called Hitch back and they started off across the desert to locate the area Moffitt had circled with his finger.

"Sarge!" Tully called. When Troy looked the private pointed to some dust on their right.

Troy nodded and Tully angled his jeep that way. He alerted Moffitt to the dust as they drove. They found a hill to hide behind and Troy and Moffitt again took their binoculars to search the desert ahead of them.

"Just a patrol." Moffitt stated as they watched the two patrol cars in the distance.

"Just a patrol," Troy repeated, "in American held territory the day the Germans planned to launch a major offensive in the area."

"Scouting the area perhaps." Moffitt suggested. "They know we took the plans and by now they know we destroyed most of the armor in that wadi. It would make sense to scout the area before they run into a trap."

"But they're circling." Troy pointed out. "Scouts would be scouting ahead, not circling."

"True, but perhaps this is as far as they were told to go."

"Maybe." Troy answered. "But it doesn't feel right."

"Do you want to follow them?"

Troy nodded. "Let's see where they're going."

They returned to the jeeps and followed the tracks of the patrol cars, being careful about stirring up any dust in their wake. As the jeeps stayed near cover Troy wished they had their 50's. The borrowed jeeps were more nimble than the patrol cars but the patrol cars carried a larger crew. The 50's were the perfect equalizers. It was Moffitt who spotted the patrol cars coming back.

The jeeps took cover and watched to see where the cars were going. Troy was concerned that the Germans would spot their tracks but the cars turned before they reached the jeeps. Moffitt and Troy exchanged relieved looks. The patrol cars didn't seem to be looking for anything, rather, they seemed to be guarding something.

"They're up to something." Troy growled.

"I believe you may be correct." Moffitt answered. He turned toward Troy and pointed at eh Germans, only he was pointing at something beyond the patrol cars.

Troy refocused his glasses and found the column of dust rising from the desert behind the patrol cars. It took a minute for him to realize what he was seeing. "Let's go!" He hissed as he headed for the jeeps.


	11. Chapter 11

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 11

Hitch and Tully both looked up as Troy and Moffitt returned to the jeeps.

"Did they find our tracks?" Hitch asked as Troy slid into the seat next to him.

"No." Troy answered in an odd voice. "Move out, but do it slow. I don't want any dust to give away our presence."

Hitch nodded and eased the jeep away from the base of the hill. He glanced over at Troy for an explanation but none was forthcoming. Troy just directed him to stay out of sight and circle around to follow the patrol again.

"What's out there Sarge? What are we hiding from anyway?"

"Germans, I think."

"You think?"

"Yeah, that's why we need to get a closer look."

"Can't you tell?"

"Not this time." Troy answered. "They may be taking a page out of Captain Kaufman's book."

"What do you mean?" Hitch was clearly confused. "What are they doing?"

"There's a German patrol out there acting as scouts for an American column."

"If there's an American column out here then why do we have to recon the area? Can't they just ask them what's going on out here?" Hitch popped a bubble as he waited for an answer. To Troy that was as good as saying that he was relaxed and ready for anything. Troy's next words nearly made him swallow his gum.

"I think they may be Germans dressed as Americans to either get close to the base or maybe even get onto the base."

"Hey! That's playing dirty!"

"We did it to them just the other day." Troy reminded him.

"Yeah, but that was just four guys, not a whole unit." Hitch argued.

"That was out whole unit."

"You know what I mean Sarge."

"Yeah, I do, but the point is, it might work. Everybody is moving troops in anticipation of the offensive and I can see Captain Kaufman allowing visiting troops access to his base. This is something the Germans have been planning for some time, you can bet they did their homework and will know just what to say to convince him that they're authentic."

"But we can radio ahead and warn the captain, can't we?"

"Yeah we can, but what if an American unit gets there first? The captain might stop the wrong group. We need to get more information so we can identify the right one before it gets there."

Hitch nodded his understanding. "What if it's not the only group they have out here dressed as us?"

"That's a possibility. Once we get the information to the captain we will have to check out any other groups we run across. We'll have to warn him about that possibility too."

Moffitt signaled that he wanted to talk so Troy had Hitch find more cover.

"Tully and I were talking." Moffitt began. "We were wondering if there might be more of these fake American units out here."

Troy smiled. "Hitch and I discussed that too. We think it's a possibility. We'll get the numbers for this unit and call it in, then we'll go check out the others."

"It might be faster if we split up Troy."

"No, we stay together; there are too many other players out here to take any unnecessary chances." Troy paused as the sounds of a German motor drew his attention.

"A patrol car." Tully whispered.

"He can't hear us talking," Troy responded, "he's not that close."

"He's going to find our tracks." The private warned.

"Then we run." Troy ordered. "We don't want a fight."

"It's only one car Troy."

"One car here." Troy answered. "An entire column behind him."

"That's true." Moffitt admitted. "And I don't think they want this secret to get out."

"If it comes to that we split up." Troy ordered. "One of us has to make it back to the base to warn the captain."

Moffitt nodded just as the patrol car spotted their tracks.

"Let's go!" Troy ordered. The two jeeps started their run, hoping to outrun any help that could come to the patrol car's aid.

Bullets began to hit the rear of Troy's jeep as the patrol car caught sight of them. Troy twisted in his seat to return fire. Using a machine gun rather than a 50 made defense more difficult, Troy went through a full clip before he made his first hit. The German soldier toppled from the car as Troy paused to reload.

Moffitt hit another one, leaving him lying in the sand behind the car. Another one fell before the driver abandoned the chase.

Tully and Hitch ducked behind a low dune as Troy and Moffitt watched behind them in case the patrol car decided to resume the chase. They were just turning back to call an all clear when the jeeps slowed.

Troy saw the American jeep trying to cut them off. "Go Moffitt!" He waved at Tully to separate and get away.

The American jeep continued toward Troy's jeep. The three men in the other jeep had their weapons pointed at Troy and Hitch. The driver stopped in front of Hitch, not giving him room to get around.

"Stop Hitch." Troy ordered. "Keep your hands in plain sight and follow my lead." He added softly.

Hitch nodded as he eased the jeep to a stop. It looked casual but he deliberately kept some distance between the two vehicles.

"Put your hands up Sergeant." A sergeant in the other jeep called.

Troy raised his hands as he looked behind him for the patrol car.

"Where did the other jeep go?"

Troy glanced toward where Tully and Moffitt were disappearing over a dune. "They had the same orders we did." Troy explained. "They're on their way to deliver the message from the base commander to the approaching units." Troy eyed the weapons still pointed at them by the fake Americans. "Can I put my hands down now? We're all on the same side here."

The German sergeant posing as an American hesitated at Troy's voiced assumption. He eyed the two Americans and then looked toward where Moffitt had gone.

"What message are you delivering?"

"Headquarters says the German attack is broken so all units are supposed to return to their own bases." Troy reported.

"What makes then think that?" The fake sergeant asked.

"Their armor was destroyed." Troy answered. "Headquarters doesn't think their attack has a chance without it so they think the Germans will turn around and go home."

"And you have orders to deliver that message to every American unit you meet?"

"Yeah." Troy nodded. "Can I put my hands down? My arms are getting tired."

"Go ahead Sergeant." The fake American nodded. "Tell your driver to follow us; we'll take you to our commander."

Hitch looked over at Troy and Troy nodded. The blond put the jeep in gear and followed the other jeep toward the fake American unit.

A major walked over to meet the two jeeps as they drove up to his column. "I was told that there were two jeeps Sergeant." He directed his attention to the fake sergeant. "Where is the other one?"

"It continued on its mission Sir." The sergeant explained. He hurried on as the major's face reddened. "They have orders from their base commander Sir. I think you should listen to what they have to say. I brought the sergeant here so that he could deliver the message himself. I thought he could answer any questions that you might have about the orders."

The major frowned but didn't question the sergeant's decision. Instead he turned to Troy. "Well Sergeant?"

Troy climbed out of his jeep and saluted the officer.

"The base commander sent us to tell any American units we can find that they can return to their own bases sir. The German armor has been destroyed and the commander doesn't think the Germans will continue their attack without it. He thinks his base can handle any Germans who don't know the armor was lost. Of course, if you want to rest your men, he will accommodate any unit that comes to his gate. He also said to thank any commanders who came to his aid." Troy stepped back, his message delivered.

"I see." The major nodded thoughtfully. "So he thinks the Germans have fallen back?"

"Yes sir." Troy answered.

"Then there aren't any Germans around?"

"I wouldn't go that far Major." Troy smiled. "We just ran into a patrol car that was snooping around. There are still a few stragglers out there. I wouldn't drop my guard completely just yet."

"Good advice Sergeant." The major replied. "The other jeep, will it be all right out there alone?"

Troy nodded. "They have orders to find the other American units and give them the same message. They'll avoid contact with any Germans they see. We're not out here to win the war, just deliver a message."

"All right Sergeant, I believe we'll accept the commander's offer of accommodations. My men can rest up before we turn around."

"We'll let him know to expect you Major." Troy promised. "Major, would you happen to know of any other units out here? I know we haven't found them all yet. Things are pretty confusing out here and we're not sure exactly where they all are right now. The sooner we can find them the sooner they can get started back to their own bases."

"I saw dust to the east but I can't say for sure who is over there." The major offered.

"Thank you sir. If that's all the questions you have, we need to get going. We have a lot of ground to cover today. The commander wants all of the units to have the opportunity to turn back before they reach the base."

"Are you sure he won't mind if we continue?"

"He expects a few to continue." Troy answered. "They came quite a way to get here and their men are going to be tired and low on supplies. So far you're the first unit that has taken him up on the offer." Troy climbed back into his jeep. "We'll head east Major, maybe we can find another unit over there."

"Good luck Sergeant."

"Thanks Major. Maybe we'll meet again at the base." He nodded at Hitch. "Head east."

Troy didn't look back although he dearly wanted to. The muscles in his back tensed as he waited for the bullets that he expected. He didn't take an easy breath until they were out of range of the fake American's guns.

"Do you think they believed you?" Hitch asked as he flexed his own tense muscles.

"They let us go." Troy responded.

"They might think we'll lead them to Moffitt and Tully."

"We'll keep our eyes open, but in the meantime, head east."

"Why east? Moffitt and Tully went west."

"I'm sure Moffitt and Tully were watching us. If we aren't being followed they'll meet up with us soon. We're heading east because the major told us about this unit. I want to see who they are."

"You think they're Germans?"

"Maybe. It's more likely that they're American though. He probably wants us to turn them back so he won't have to worry about them."

"How will we know?"

"I guess we'll call the base and ask Captain Kaufman if he can find out who they are. I'll call the base myself as soon as I talk to Moffitt."

"That was fast thinking Sarge. I thought we were done for sure." Hitch shook his head in admiration.

"It was the only thing that I could think of that sounded plausible." Troy admitted.

Hitch laughed. "They're going to be in for a surprise if they try to enter the base."

Tully and Moffitt were waiting for them around the next hill. Troy explained the situation as quickly as possible.

"Could you tell if we are being followed?" Troy asked.

"Not as far as we could tell." The other sergeant answered. "They held a short conference after you left. The major looked quite pleased when he returned to his car."

Troy smiled. "That won't last."

"Shall we check out that unit to the east then?" Moffitt asked.

"Yeah I want to know who they are before we call the base."

"They might be German too Sarge." Tully warned.

"We're not going in." Troy answered.

"If they're German the major may have told them to expect you." Moffitt warned. "It's possible he told them about your message and they'll expect you to deliver it since he told you about them. To fail to do so may alert the major to your suspicions."

"That could be." Troy agreed. "He would want them to know what we were doing so they wouldn't stop us from turning the American units back."

"So how are we going to know who they are?" Hitch repeated.

"I guess we'll have to go in and have a look." Troy answered.

"We could do it Sarge." Tully offered.

"No." Troy shook his head. "We told them that you and Moffitt were headed west to look for American units over that way. If they are German they'd know something was wrong if you showed up instead of us."

"They didn't see you." Moffitt argued. "They may only know that a sergeant and a driver are on their way."

"An American sergeant." Troy answered. "A British sergeant might send up a red flag. No, it has to be me and Hitch. You and Tully stay out of sight. You're not supposed to be with us."

"We'll be watching."

"Don't do anything." Troy warned. "If we don't come back out you'll have to let the captain know what happened. You know what the imposters look like. We can't let them get onto the base."

It was decided that they would split up right away so that no one would see them together. Tully and Moffitt swung wide and kept an eye on Troy and Hitch as they searched for the unit the major had told them about.

Troy and Hitch found the unit to the east and drove right up to them. The lead car stopped at the sight of the lone jeep approaching. Hitch approached as if he thought they were an American unit. Both men kept their hands in plain sight. Hitch rested his hands on his steering wheel and blew bubbles while Troy explained their mission.

The officer in charge watched Troy's face as he told them the same thing he had told the major.

"How do we know this message is authentic?" The officer demanded. "We came a long way to fight this battle."

"You can call the base for confirmation." Troy suggested. "Captain Kaufman is the base commander. Captain Kaufman did say that anyone who continued to the base would be given accommodations. You're welcome to rest your men and replenish your supplies. The captain had plenty of supplies on hand for the expected attack."

"I would hope so Sergeant." The officer replied. "My men are exhausted from the forced march and our supplies are running low."

"I know how they feel sir." Troy nodded. "My men and I haven't had much rest the last few days either. The choice is yours sir, we need to be on our way. We still have more units to locate." Troy repeated his earlier question. "Would you know where we can find any other units sir? With everyone on the move we aren't sure where anybody is at any given time."

"No sergeant, I haven't seen anyone else. I suppose you'll just have to look for them yourself."

"Yes sir." Troy answered formally. "We'll be on our way then. Luck sir."

"Dismissed sergeant." The officer growled.

Hitch popped a bubble as Troy slid into the seat next to him. He reached down and hit the starter on the jeep, reversing before turning to leave.

"Where to now Sarge?"

"Just drive." Troy answered.


	12. Chapter 12

**Major Mix-up **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 12

"Were they Germans or Americans?" Hitch asked as they left the unit behind.

"I couldn't tell for sure." Troy answered. "That officer was arrogant enough to be either one."

"What are we going to tell Captain Kaufman?"

'We don't know." Troy answered. "I'm not willing to make any guesses, there's too much at stake." He told Moffitt the same thing when they met up minutes later.

"We'd better call the base and fill the captain in on what's happening." Moffitt suggested.

"We can give him the basics." Troy responded. "I don't want to risk the details over the radio."

Captain Kaufman met them at the gate when they returned to the base. "What's this about a fake American unit?" He was asking questions before the jeeps even rolled to a stop.

"There's at least one unit out there dressed as Americans." Troy explained. "There's a major in charge of the unit. We got a pretty good look at their numbers and equipment while we were delivering our message."

"About that; what message?" Kaufman demanded.

It took Troy a while to explain everything that they had discovered, what they had done, and why. The captain was nearly speechless by the time he was finished.

"So they're still coming here?" He finally sputtered.

"They said they were." Troy confirmed. "I promised that you would provide accommodations if they chose to continue to the base." Troy smiled.

Captain Kaufman huffed. "Yeah, in the stockade."

Troy shrugged and grinned. "I didn't promise first class accommodations Captain, just accommodations."

"What about that second unit?"

Troy shook his head. "Like I said sir, I didn't get a read on them. They could be American or they could be German. The captain in charge questioned the orders and I told him to contact the base to get them confirmed. Did he?"

"No, no one has tried to contact us."

"Then I don't know what to tell you sir. You know about as much as we know."

"About as much? What haven't you told me Sergeant?" The captain demanded.

"We saw them Captain." Troy answered. "We told you everything we saw but we can identify them by sight."

"Then I want you and your men to stay near the gate in case they try to get in."

Troy nodded, resigned to more hours of waiting. He tried to hide a yawn as the captain turned away. The four of them kept busy; more to stay awake than because their help was actually needed. The entire base was evaluated for defense and changes were made when anything was noted that could increase security.

The first unit of strangers appeared nearly two hours later. It wasn't one of the units that Troy and Hitch had spoken with earlier. The officer in charge approached the gate warily and identified his unit.

"Is this the unit you warned me about?" Captain Kaufman asked Troy.

"No sir." Troy answered. "I never saw this one before."

The officer looked confused and repeated what he had already told the guards. Captain Kaufman kept him waiting outside the gates until his identity could be verified.

Half an hour after that the next unit arrived. As Captain Kaufman walked toward the gate he caught the nod from Troy. He immediately alerted his officers. Men began to quietly move into position as the captain continued to the gate.

"Who have we here?" Captain Kaufman called as he came to a stop in front of the major who was seeking entrance.

"I am Major Thomas Payne." The officer identified himself. "My unit was sent to help support this base during the expected German offensive."

"Glad to have you here Major." The captain replied with a crisp salute. "Sergeant Troy told me to expect you and your unit."

"Your sergeant assured me that we would be provided with accommodations if we chose to continue rather than turn back immediately." The major answered warily. "My men can use the rest before we begin our return trip."

"Of course Major, I can provide you and your men with accommodations. If you will please leave your vehicles where they are I will have my men move them out of the way. You'll understand if I keep them outside the gate. We don't have room for anymore armor on the base itself. I will have guards keep an eye on it for you."

"My men can move them." The major insisted.

"Fine." Captain Kaufman agreed easily. "I'll have someone show them where to go."

The major began to relax as the captain agreed to his demands.

"If the rest of your men will follow Lieutenant Todd he can show them where they will be staying for the time being. I'll have the mess hall prepare something for you to eat."

"Thank you Captain." The major nodded as he looked around. "Are you still expecting a German attack?"

"No." Captain Kaufman shook his head. "I think that ship has sailed."

"Excuse me?"

"Their offensive has failed." The captain explained. "The window of opportunity has closed."

The major nodded. "Just as well, I understand that you sent most of the units back to their bases."

"Almost all of them Major, yours being an exception."

"Our mission will be finished by morning." The major promised. "We will head home then."

"No rush Major." The captain assured him. "We have room for you."

The major turned and gave orders for his men to enter the base on foot. Captain Kaufman waited until the vehicles had been taken away before he signaled his men. The Germans had no sooner set foot on the base than they found themselves surrounded and covered by 50 caliber machine guns. The major looked around slowly before raising his hands.

"Tell your men to drop their weapons Major." The captain ordered.

The major ordered his men to surrender.

"How did you know?"

"You shouldn't have used patrol cars to scout for your unit." Captain Kaufman answered. "Our scouts are the suspicious type."

"The sergeant in the jeep?"

"That's the one." The captain confirmed.

"I should have had them shot." The major growled.

"I wouldn't have liked that." Troy smiled as he stepped out into the open. "This was a pretty good idea Major, yours?"

"No," the major snarled, "I would have come in shooting."

"Maybe that other unit will try that." Troy suggested.

"What other unit?" The German asked.

Troy raised his eyebrows. "You're good Major. I still can't decide if their American or German."

"American of course."

"Of course."

Because Troy had seen the other unit he and his men were required to stay close to the gate until that unit arrived. They waited for hours but the officer in charge must have changed his mind and turned around. It was dark before Captain Kaufman decided that they weren't going to show.

"Very good Sergeant." The captain ordered the guard returned to normal. "You and your men can get some sleep now. I promise no one will disturb you if I have to stand guard at your door myself."

"Just let us take our rifles to bed with us Captain, I guarantee no one will bother us more than once."

The captain laughed. "I don't think so Sergeant. I'd hate to have to lock you up for shooting some poor soldier who opened the wrong door."

Troy shrugged. "It was just a thought."

"Get some sleep Sergeant; I think we can handle things from here. Thank you for your invaluable help."

"I think you would have done fine even without our help." Troy answered.

"You definitely made it easier, but I thank you for the vote of confidence Sergeant. I have orders to send you back to your regular base as soon as possible."

Troy groaned.

"But it won't be possible for at least three days." The captain continued. "There's a plane leaving three days from now, you'll be on it. That should give you time to catch up on the sleep you lost." The captain smiled. "That way if your commanding officer has another job for you you will be well rested."

"Thank you Captain. Are you sure you won't change your mind about letting us sleep with our rifles?"

Captain Kaufman laughed again but shook his head. "Afraid not. But I will arrange for someone to stand guard, I have a base to run."

Troy nodded and led his tired, dusty men out of the office. Before turning in they decided to take time to shower. On their return to their room they were surprised to find a guard standing in front of their door. Troy paused before stepping into the room. The guard looked at him curiously.

"If anyone tries to disturb us, shoot them."

The guard looked surprised, then confused. He stared at Troy, waiting for an explanation.

"Forget it." Troy sighed. "Just tell them to go away." He followed his men into the room and shut the door.


End file.
